The Princess & The Dragon (Living a Fairy Tail Dream Series)
by CeruShimRu15
Summary: The average Fairy Tale tells of a Princess who is locked away in a tower guarded by a dragon and awaits her true love to rescue her. What happens when Lucy finds herself in this predicament? more inside
1. Reckless Teenagers

Full Summary: The average Fairy Tale tells of a Princess who is locked away in a tower guarded by a dragon and awaits her true love to rescue her. What happens when Lucy finds herself in this predicament and seems to have lost hope in her prince when he might have been beneath her nose the entire time.

**Hello there readers ^_^ CeruShimRu speaking here and if you're an old follwer of me, you probably noticed a change in my name…haha ask about that at a different place and not here. This is my first fanfic revolving around the world of Fairy Tail by Hiro Mashima which is telling you, he owns the story and the characters, not me, but I am proud of my fanfic hehe. You can probably guess that I'm a supporter of NaLu so don't bash me if you're not x] as I already have the entire story planned out from head to toe but I just have to get all of it on the computer. I've even planned to possibly make this into a set of series or something but I'm not so sure as of yet :] enjoy and please review!**

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><p>The region of Fiore holds the home to countless kingdoms. Many of these kingdoms joined together by the marriage of the royal children and their land would expand. Princes could select whoever they wanted as long as they were a part of the royal status but most of the time they went to gatherings for princesses who were looking for the perfect suitor. That was the easy way for the wealthy: join together in marriage and expand your riches beyond your wildest dreams. Almost everyone followed this method for their young princesses, but some parents had to go to drastic measures. Someone like the Heartfilia family...<p>

**"And don't come out of your room until I ask for you!"**

The door slammed shut behind the young princess. She glanced over her shoulder at the tall elegant door and stuck her tongue out defiantly. She then made her way over to her closet and began to change out of the poufy dress into a much less formal one. After that she began working on her hair, taking out all of the pins to allow it to fall to her shoulders. The young blonde smiled at her reflection.

**"Well Lucy you've done it again," **she said to the mirror.

Lucy was used to this simple punishment of being sent away to her room any time she ruined an event with a suitor. This time it had been lunch in which she somehow managed to let an army of strays into the castle where they destroyed the feast completely. Apparently one had been infested with fleas and jumped upon the poor suitor who ran out of the castle with fright. Her father had looked on a gasp while Lucy giggled in her seat. It didn't take long for the old man to catch on.

She didn't do these acts for attention but just simply for rebellion. Lucy didn't believe her love should be chosen for her. Almost every prince that came simply showed up because they wanted to combine their two kingdoms for wealth and power...not her. No one cared about what she thought of the entire situation. Of course in her father's viewpoints a lady wasn't suppose to think, just act, but this made Lucy come up with her own twist to his words. Nonetheless, Lucy didn't agree with what her father said.

Sometimes she liked to believe the world would be a lot different if her mother was still around. The wonderful woman passed away when Lucy was only ten years old and it left a huge scar in her heart. Queen Layla had been the only person within the castle to truly understand her. Eventually it became some of her servants as her father had shut her out completely. All he ever cared about was the kingdom...and money. Lucy had already learned that money could not buy happiness.

**"Oh Princess," **a voice called.

Lucy turned to see the pink haired lady she had grown to love over the years standing in her doorway. A smile quickly developed on her face. **"Hello there Virgo," **she replied.

The maid bowed. **"I'm sorry to be disturbing you but your father would like to see you at once."**

_Already...? This is earlier than usual. _**"Do you know his intentions?"**

**"Punishment perhaps."**

Lucy rolled her eyes. Virgo's mind was always locked on punishment...the girl really needed to find a man or get herself into some trouble herself. Sighing, she made her away across the room and followed Virgo to her father's quarters. By his expression she could tell he still wasn't happy by her rebelliousness as he didn't notice their entrance. He was too busy holding his head in his one of his hands and drumming his fingers against the arm of his chair with the other. Virgo loudly cleared her throat to get his attention. Lucy lowered her eyes as she saw her father look up.

**"My apologies, Virgo. I did not here you two approach," **he said. His eyes wandered warily to his daughter. **"Lucy, I'd like you to look at me while I'm speaking."**

The princess poked out her lip but said nothing as she gazed up as her father. His gray eyes bore into her as if he was reading her but suddenly they turned away. It took several heartbeats for him to speak again. He placed he head in his hands and let out a sigh.

**"Lucy," **he began. **"Why do you keep doing this?" **There was no reply. **"Speak to me child! That was not a rhetorical question."**

**"I am not a child," **Lucy retorted. Her father snorted and she continued. **"I'm 17 and the last few times I wasn't allowed to answer that question. Father, I don't want you to choose my suitors. I want to find love on my own. It's only fair-"**

**"We've been through this before Lucy. It is the way it has been for centuries. Why can't you accept that?"**

**"Why can't you be the king who let's that change?" **Lucy snapped back. **"Oh right, you're no longer the caring king everyone talks about since mother died."**

**"There will be no talk of your mother in that way," **the king roared. Lucy flinched under his tone but continued to stare at her father defiantly. This caused the king to sigh and mutter to himself. Finally he looked up at his daughter with utter detachment. **"Well then, if you want to find love on your own I guess I will have to make an acceptance."**

The princess smiled. **"Thank you father-"**

**"Don't be so quick to thank me." **He turned to Virgo. **"You will escort my daughter to her destination and bring her any valuables she asks for when you visit her twice a month. That will be the only time you shall see her and the only time she will see anyone from this here castle."**

Virgo bowed but stared confused at her master. Lucy realized both of them didn't know what was going on.

**"Father...what are you saying?"**

**"You are being sent away, my love, to a tower where you shall wait for your love to find you," **he paused seeing the fright in his daughter's eyes. **"Don't give me that look. You wanted love to find you and I'm doing it in a way that it still goes with the laws. The prince who is able to defeat the dragon who protects you will be the one who had the most love for you. This has proven to be true countless times as love is the strongest weapon alive."**

**"I wanted love to find me but not in this way!"**

**"Do not argue with me! It is for the best. Now go. Pack your bags. You will be sent to the tower tonight after one final dinner in the palace. The rest of the kingdom must learn of your choice."**

**"My choice? I-" **

She was cut off as a hand reached over her mouth and another held her hands behind her back. Lucy stared back into the blue eyes of Virgo. The maid shook her head in disagreement and led her away from her father back towards her room. She closed the door behind her and began making her way towards the princess's closet. Lucy stared in dismay with her back against the door and slumped to the floor, her head in her hands as tears began to flood from her eyes. What kind of family was this? Her father was basically putting words in her mouth when he would announce this to the kingdom. She continued to cry until she felt the door move slightly behind her.

**"Excuse me Princess," **the orange haired male apologized and bowed slightly. **"I came to check on you after I heard the announcement..." **He spotted Virgo busily packing bags in a quick orderly fashion. The servant sighed, sliding into the room, and closed the door behind him. He then sank to the ground beside his mistress. **"How long?"**

Lucy forced herself to stop sobbing. **"I leave tonight...after dinner."**

**"That's not much time," **he replied, removing his glasses. **"I knew your antics were outlandish but I didn't think your father would come to this predicament."**

**"You knew about the tower?"**

**"I thought everyone knew about the tower."**

Lucy sighed. Apparently she was a dumb blonde. Then again if she would have stuck to doing her castle history like her father wanted her to all those years ago she might have known a little about this. Her recklessness just continued to get her into trouble. Tears began to form in her eyes again only for the boy to wipe them away with a handkerchief.

"**You know I hate to see you cry," **he whispered. **"More importantly, I hate to see you go."**

"**What am I going to do?" **she whined. She looked up to see that Virgo had completely finished packing her entire closet, leaving behind the extravagant dresses. Now she had moved on to packing her cosmetics. The girl was extremely fast.

"**There really isn't much you **_**can**_** do." **The boy got to his feet and held out his hand towards the Princess. Lucy took it and was brought to her feet with ease. He then crossed towards her bed and picked up a toy stuffed lion. Lucy trailed after him. **"You've done enough after all. The best you can do is pack the things you don't want to leave and take the memories you've created here. Also, don't forget any of us." **He handed Lucy the stuffed animal. She stared at it for a moment, stroking its soft fur.

"**I could never do that," **she replied smiling. She moved the lion into a cradling position. **"So I guess this is your way of saying goodbye?"**

**"Not until after dinner."**

Suddenly, the blare of a trumpet was heard from the hallways. The mood within the room began to drop at the sound. Lucy lowered her eyes as the boy put the glasses back onto his face. He then led her out of the room, turning back to stare at Virgo.

**"Won't you join us?" **he questioned his workmate.

The female shook her head. **"I will not rest or eat until our mistress is settled."**

A whimpered escaped from Lucy. She never realized her servants had been so loyal to her. The boy grabbed her hand and led her away from the sight of her room. The last thing she saw was the backside of Virgo.

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><p>Dinner had been an unpleasant one. Possibly the worse dinner Lucy had ever experienced besides the one on the night of her mother's death. The food was splendid but it had only continued to leave a bad taste in her month. The entire event had gone on in silence, Lucy refusing to give an acknowledgement to her father. Its closure was her order to be at the palace gates by 8. And here she was now saying her last goodbyes to her faithful servants, instructors and family.<p>

She decided she wanted to leave at once, without telling her father goodbye as she knew it would only cause her more pain. With that, she was off in a wagon accompanied by Virgo and Taurus. Lucy couldn't help but feel a tiny bit of gratitude for her father to send her away safely. Taurus was one of the strongest knights they had within the family so with him at their side she knew they would get to tower unharmed. She settled back into the cushion of the seat, listening to the clacking of hooves on the road and the hypnotic rocking of the carriage. In a matter of minutes she was asleep.

When she awoke she was unfamiliar of her surroundings but could detect the change in the atmosphere. There were clouds that covered the stars above and the moon was barely visible except for a tiny shaft. She felt hot and sticky in her gown and noticed the temperature had changed as well. Normally it would could during this time of night. Instead, it made her want to get out of the clothing in a hurry. Suddenly the carriage came to a stop. Virgo appeared at the door and held out a hand to help the Princess clamber out.

Lucy gasped in astonishment at the sight before her. **"Th-th-the tower," **she stammered. **"It's-it's surround by...lava?"**

**"It's a mote your majesty," **Virgo replied taking the bags out of the carriage. She began making her way towards the door as if this was just another simple task. **"The dragon must be able to live in an environment that it can love while protecting you. It is only fair."**

**"But what will I do about this heat?"**

**"You can always strip," **Taurus suggested as hearts set in his eyes.

Lucy narrowed her eyes and pushed the annoying bull away. He may be noble but he was perverted nonetheless. She sighed and began following Virgo up the tower with Taurus lagging behind. Inside the tower the heat wasn't as powerful but the area was still humid. She wondered if her first request could be the installation of air condition. They began making their way up a series of stairs until they came to the final floor.

The princess opened the door and her eyes widen in amazement. To her surprise the walls of the room were pink! And was this carpet beneath their feet? She quickly detected the drop in temperature and noticed her new found stickiness. Well, it looked like a bath was going to be her first priority once she was settled in. She watched as Virgo placed her gowns into a closet while Taurus sniffed around the bed. Perhaps this wouldn't be as bad as she expected.

**"All finish Princess," **Virgo announced.

Lucy blinked in confusion. How did Virgo continue to amaze her with her speed? **"Thank you Virgo, but you didn't have to do that."**

**"Oh, if so you can always give me punishment."**

**"That is not an option!"**

**"Oh Princess," **Taurus called from another location in the room. Lucy realized there was another hallway within it which led to a bathroom. **"You have a nice place here."**

Lucy sweat-dropped when she realized he was sniffing at her hair products and perfumes. She waved the scene away and turned back towards her room lost in thought. The tower didn't seem this vast from the outside and wondered if magic had something to do with it. She quickly dismissed this. Her father hated magic with a passion, but all of this seemed too real to be true.

**"It really is something," **Lucy murmured to herself.

**"Your father wanted you to feel right at home," **Virgo replied, overhearing her. **"Sorry to eavesdrop but once he made the decision he sent many of the servants to fix the place up." **She paused, trying to choose her next set of words. "**Since you are settled, I'm afraid we must leave."**

**"So soon?"**

**"We must return to the castle before dawn."**

Tears began to form in the princess's eyes. **"Then I guess this is goodbye until your next visit." **

The two exchanged hugs which caused Taurus to appear from the bathroom. He then joined in causing the females to be squished in his arms. Lucy watched as her servant descended the stairs. Once they were out of the building she moved to the window and watched the carriage roll away. She waved towards them until they were out of sight. Finally, she sighed and rested her head on the window pane overlooking the view. An uneasy of feeling loneliness began to creep in.

**"What am I to do now?" **she questioned, gazing up at the now viewable stars. **"Am I forced to be lonely until my true love appears?" **

The white orbs stared back at her in silence. Lucy took this as an answer which only caused her to feel even more depressed. Forcing herself to move, she headed to the bathroom to wash the sticky feeling away. Perhaps a good night's rest would have her feeling better in the morning. After all, there was a desk in the room so she could always write her feelings away. She then shut the bathroom door behind her. However, little did the princess know that a pair of keen ears had heard her questions to the sky and had watched her since her arrival. The owner of these ears decided they would make their appearance to her tomorrow.


	2. Weirdos & Lizards

**Thank you all for the wonderful reviews ^_^ Here's Chapter 2. I'm so sorry for the long wait...finals are coming around (this week actually) so I've been stuck with school work. Without further interruptions, l present to you "Weirdos & Lizards"**

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><p>Sunlight filtering in the window awoke the young princess from her slumber. A yawn escaped her as she rubbed her eyes. Suddenly she froze. This wasn't the palace! She jumped out of her bed in alarm only for the recollection of yesterday's events to hit her. Once everything came flooding back she let out a sigh. It looked like it was going to be a lot of work for her to adjust to her new surroundings...<em>And life<em>

Lucy decided to get ready for the day, picking a light blue sundress to wear around the tower. Since she was no longer under royal customs she decided to wear her hair down. The only problem now was finding something to occupy her time. She sat in the chair at her desk for a few moments before deciding to leave and go explore around the tower. She made a mental note on how to return to her room and left the door open, hoping the aroma of her perfume would lead her back with ease.

Slipping down the hallways, the princess began peering behind any of the unlocked doors. Many turned out to be empty while some seemed to be storage closets or bathrooms. It seemed to become a bummer until she located the kitchen. The grumbling of her stomach reminded her that she hadn't eaten breakfast at all and she made her way inside. Opening the refrigerator, she noticed it was stocked with food. There was only one downside to the problem...

**"Living life as a Princess didn't teach me how to fend for myself," **Lucy sighed. Her voice quickly grew to a wail. **"How am I suppose to feed myself if I don't know how to cook?"**

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><p>After many attempts, Lucy finally managed to fix her a fried egg sandwich for breakfast. It wasn't what she had a taste for but it was about the only thing she could manage at the moment. After all, she didn't want to burn the tower down. She would have to remember to ask Virgo to bring her a cookbook during her next visitation. The Princess's curiosity had led her all the way to the bottom of the tower. Opening the door, she was greeted by the strong blast of hot air from outside. She sighed. Another thing she would have to get use to.<p>

Lucy walked outside nonetheless. Gazing around she noticed a bridge which connected the land she was one to the other side across the moat. A smirk crept to her face. This was just too easy of an opportunity. Her father had left her to be able to leave the tower _and _cross the bridge with ease? She could easily escape and go travel the world on her own; that way she would find her own true love!

**"This is just too perfect," **Lucy said chuckling as she walked towards the bridge. **"All I have to do is cross it and I'm set to -"**

_**I wouldn't do that if I was you...**_

Lucy froze. Was it her or did she just happen to hear a voice in her head? The Princess shook her head. That was impossible. It had to be the heat that was messing with her. She began making her way towards the bridge again.

_**Are you really **_**that **_**stubborn?**_

**"Who are you?" **Lucy demanded looking around wildly. She didn't see anyone...so how could she possibly be hearing another voice? She edged closer to the bridge.

_**Whatever you do, do not touch that bridge.**_

She bit back a growl, noticing the speaker had clearly ignored her question. **"And why is that?"**

_**Because...it's powered by lacrima. If you set one step on that bridge you will be sent an electric shot. It is only powered to attack you.**_

**"That sounds stupid," **Lucy scoffed making her way to the bridge. **"How can a bridge possibllllly! - "The** girl's words grew to a shrill before she was sent flying back to her side of the bridge. She landed with a loud thump onto her back and coughed before finishing her previous sentence. **"Attack?"**

_**I told you...are you alright?**_

The Princess sat up, rubbing her head. Minus the tingling feeling her body still had she felt fine. There weren't any bad burns or scratches. Actually, she was more shocked then anything. **"I'm fine," **she replied. **"How did that happen anyway?"**

_**Lacrima is a magical item. The lacrima in the bridge, however, are magically charged.**_

**"I knew this place was surrounded by magic," **Lucy murmured, closing her eyes. None of that made sense. As much as she had a fascination for magic as a child, her father practically forbidden it from the kingdom so she didn't get to learn much about it as she had liked to. Lucy still remembered the time she would study it secretly with her mother as a child but once she passed away the sessions ended. If he hated it with such a passion, why was he protecting her with it? Suddenly she felt something touching her arm. Opening one eye cautiously, she stared in shock at a giant scaly red nose pressing against her skin.

_**Well you seem okay but you don't smell okay. **_The dragon pulled its nose away and peered down at her before blinking. _**Why are you looking at me like that?**_

**"You're-you're th-the dragon!" **Lucy stammered. She quickly edged away towards the door of the tower. **"Stay away from me!"**

_**But-**_

The door quickly slammed and the princess began to make her way up the stairs. She ran as fast as she could back to her room, closing and locking the door behind her. She then slumped to the floor panting. She couldn't believe she had met the real dragon that was supposedly protecting the tower. _And it touched me! _Lucy stared at her arm it had touched, noticing the marks the electricity had left was now gone. She blinked, turning her arm over a couple times. How was that even possible?

_**The magic power of a dragon is a strange thing.**_

Lucy gasped, looking up to see the round amber eye of the dragon. **"I told you to stay away!" **she yelled.

_**That's stupid! We're stuck with each other for who knows how long until that human prince comes for you. Gee, you really are a weirdo.**_

**"I am not a weirdo!"**

_**Then stop acting like one.**_

The princess turned away and pouted. She _was _not a weirdo. She glanced over her shoulder and saw that the dragon was still peering into the window. Lucy let out a sigh. **"What do I have to do to make you leave me alone? I told you to go away."**

There was no reply. Lucy turned around seeing that the dragon was no longer at her window. She began to make her way towards it only to stop halfway across the room, tears beginning to develop in her eyes. She quickly slumped to the floor, sobbing. This wasn't the life she had planned. Being stuck in a tower with a nosy dragon was far from any princess's dream. All she wanted was to find love on her own.

_**Why are you crying?**_

**"I thought I told you to go away," **Lucy struggled between tears. She kept her head in her hands, daring not to look up in fear of seeing a golden eye staring at her.

_**Yeah but seeing someone cry isn't something anyone can ignore. It's probably best to talk about it.**_

**"What good would discussing anything with a dragon do me?" **Lucy demanded, looking at the window. The dragon's eye was peering in but receded as the dragon shifted to allow her to see its face. Lucy made her way over to the window, resting at the pane to stare down at it with her own intense gaze. **"You could never understand what I'm going through."**

_**Perhaps not as I'm no human, but I do understand emotions. It's because you're stuck here with me, is it?**_

**"So you're not some dumb lizard."**

_**I **_**am **_**a **_**Dragon**_**!**_

Lucy couldn't resist giggling. Apparently she had found a weak spot within the dragon's hard scales.

_**And now you're laughing...stop laughing at me! Why are you humans so weird?**_

**"I'm sorry," **Lucy replied, a smile developing upon her face. **"And I'm a teenage girl, so what do you expect from me? I'm prone to being emotional**_** and **_**I am not weird."**

_**And I am not a lizard. **_

The dragon let out a chuckled. This startled the princess as she began to realize something. The voice and the laugh were all in her head. How could this all be happening? Thinking about this for a moment, she thought of the different magically attributes people could have that she learned from her mother. Telepathy was one that came to mind...no pun intended of course. _Is the dragon using telepathy with me or something?_

_**'Fraid so.**_

**"Gah!" **Lucy yelped. **"Get out of my head. Don't you know it's rude to listen to a person's thoughts?"**

_**Your mind isn't protected well so it makes the task very easy. You humans are very strange creatures.**_

Lucy rubbed her head. **"Well you dragon's aren't what I heard from the storytellers back at the palace, that's for sure. How are you in my head anyway?"**

_**Your mind isn't protected...remember? Weirdo...**_

**"Stop calling me that!"**

The dragon's laugh echoed within her head. _**Okay, but yes telepathy is what I am using...mainly because I find you interesting.**_

**"I'm interesting?" **the princess echoed puzzled.

_**That's for another day. **_The dragon looked behind it towards the sky. _**I'm quiet hungry so I'd like to go find something. Good day, Princess.**_

The dragon turned to go, leaving her window. Lucy blinked in surprised. **"Wait! We've been talking all this time but we didn't introduce ourselves." **The dragon turned around to stare at her. The princess continued, smiling. **"I am Princess Lucy, Lucy Heartfilia. What be the name of the dragon who protects me?"**

The dragon hesitated. _**The name is...Igneel, **_it replied. _**And only Igneel.**_

Lucy watched as the dragon retreated to the lava where it disappeared from sight. She rested her head against the pane of her window, sighing. _Igneel huh? _She wondered would anyone believe her if she told them she actually had held a conversation with a dragon...her dragon. More importantly, it had told her its name. She sat there for a few minutes, staring out at the view before peeling herself away from the window and made her way towards her desk.

She had had enough for today and wanted nothing more than to take a nap. She decided once she was finished she would write about her day. There was so many questions that she still had for Igneel and she wondered if he could answer them all. Her gaze traveled back to her arm which he healed earlier. That would definitely be one of her first questions; the other having to do with sealing her mind. For all she knew now, Igneel could be listening in to her thoughts this very moment. _I hope not...that would be just weird. I wonder can I contact him as well._

_**With practice, yes.**_

Lucy yelped. **"So you were eavesdropping?" **she demanded. There was no reply. Pouting, Lucy rethought the question.

_**No, **_Igneel replied. _**Your thoughts were rather loud. Now please try thinking quieter why I sleep.**_

_You ate already? _Lucy questioned.

_**Yes...now please Princess. We can discuss this another time.**_

_Got it. _The princess let out a sigh, tapping the pencil she held in her hand against the desk. Apparently all those stories she heard when she was a child were wrong. Perhaps there was more to dragons than she could ever imagine. She decided she would get to know Igneel a bit more. _Maybe living here won't be so lonely after all._


	3. If That Is What You Wish

**Christmas break is here which allows me more time to write for you guys ^_^ thank you for all the reviews everyone and keep them coming! As for all of you asking for Natsu just keep waiting ;) your first prince has just arrived.**

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><p>A few days had passed since Lucy had gotten to know Igneel. The dragon proved to be worthy enough of keeping her company and offering protection. Though, she wouldn't have minded if the prince would show his face and fight for her. Sighing, she rolled over in her bed, concealing herself in the covers. She thought her life back in the palace had been lazy but now she could lie in bed all day if she wanted to. This was a better life living on her own.<p>

She had just begun to sink into a slumber when a deafening roar echoed through her head causing her to tumble from her bed, crashing onto the floor in a frenzy of sheets. Lucy sat up, rubbing the side of her head in annoyance. Okay, perhaps a dragon being able to talk in her head wasn't a part of the good life.

_What's the big idea Igneel? _she demanded.

_**I've been trying to get your attention for who knows how long, **_the dragon replied. There was an edge to his voice that the princess had never heard before. She listened intently as he continued with a softer tone. _**I must admit, you're getting a bit better with your barrier.**_

_Why thank you. But why did you need my attention?_

Igneel hesitated before responding. _**I've caught scent of a human boy, **_he said at last. _**I wanted you to know about it first before I decided on doing anything.**_

Lucy blinked in surprised. Her prince had come already? She didn't think a boy would appear this soon. Okay, then again she had just been wishing for one to come but she was just beginning to accept the lazy life. She didn't want to be bothered with this right now when she was still in pajamas.

**"I can't have the prince seeing me like this!" **she yelped. She bolted towards her closet, pulling on a burgundy tank top and mini shorts. She then made her way over to her mirror, looking everything over. **"I may not be in the palace but I still have respect towards my appearance."**

_**Quit shutting me out...**_

The princess giggled, detecting the whine in the dragon's voice. _Sorry Igneel, but I didn't want a human to see me this way if he defeats you._

The dragon snorted. _**The only person who can truly defeat a dragon is a dragon slayer.**_

_Isn't every prince trained to slay a dragon?_

_**Perhaps, but that's not what I mean...I'll explain it to you some other time.**_

Lucy rolled her eyes in annoyance and made her way towards her window. She could see Igneel sitting below it, gazing protectively at the horizon. Resting her head on the pane she gazed down at him only for the dragon to turn his eyes towards her. The princess stared back for a few heartbeats only to pull her gaze away and stare off at the horizon.

_**The human, **_Igneel whispered. _**He approaches.**_

**"How can you already see him?" **Lucy questioned, straining her eyes to see in the far off distance. All she could make out was the sun and she was pretty sure that wasn't a person at all. Suddenly she felt a pressure inside her head. **"Igneel what are you doing?"**

_**Just relax...you want to see the Prince, right?**_

Lucy didn't reply, confused in the whole matter. She took a deep breath to calm herself as the pressure increased inside her head. Suddenly her vision began to blur and she began to blink to try and clear her senses. As they began to clear, the princess began to make out what was in front of her. She gasped, realizing she was seeing outside of the tower. A sound caught her ear and her gaze turned to an approaching figure on the horizon. She then concluded the sound was coming from the figure...or person? _What's going on?_

_**I've merged your senses with mine for the time being, **_Igneel replied. _**That person there is the prince...I can feel it.**_

Igneel turned their gaze back at the boy as he had now come to the bridge. When their entwined senses, Lucy was able to get a better perspective of the boy than she would while in the tower. She had already noticed that her vision was more powerful now that it was working alongside Igneel's. They both watched curiously as the boy made his way across the bridge.

_Aren't you going to do anything? _Lucy questioned the dragon.

_**Not yet. I want to sum him up first.**_

The princess blinked in confusion. Sum him up? She turned to look at the boy trying to figure out what summing could Igneel possibly do. She easily guessed by his appearance that he was near her age. He had spiky black-colored hair that went along with his dark blue eyes. He wore a blue tunic which had an odd yellow pattern across it. For some strange reason, he wore a light-blue jacket over it where the sleeves became a dark blue-green with stripes. White gloves covered his hands which were rimmed in a darker blue where it connected with the jacket. His pants were white...at least she believed them to be pants as they could have easily been tights. On his feet was a darker blue pair of boots. Around his neck was a flowing blue cape.

Well, what Lucy was getting from this guy was that he really loved the color blue. She doubted _that_ was what Igneel was looking for however. She wondered what kingdom that the possibly came from. If she remembered correctly, her father always stated you could tell what kingdom a prince or princess came from by the predominant color of the hair and eyes. Lucy never understood by looking this prince made her want to guess he came from a kingdom that was near a sea...or possibly a cold environment. Suddenly, a grunt from Igneel caught her attention. The boy had now made his way across the bridge and was staring at Igneel intensely.

**"So," **the boy stated, placing his hands on his waist. **"You're the dragon protector, huh?"**

_**And you're the rescuing prince? **_Igneel retorted, folding his wings behind his back.

_Igneel..._Lucy whispered. _Don't be so mean._

The dragon snorted, ignoring her completely. He got to his paws, looming over the prince. _**If you want the princess you will have to go through me.**_

**"I know the rules," **the boy scoffed. Suddenly, he pulled off his jacket and shirt and tossed them aside, revealing a six pack. **"And I'm not going to give up so easily. I Gray Fullbuster, challenges you, Dragon."**

_**Challenge accepted.**_

_Wait...what? _Everything was happening so fast before her. Without any warning Igneel lunged for the prince only for him to dodge the attack. Lucy stared in confusion. Why in the world was this boy half naked? Just as the thought crossed her mind, the boy disposed of his boots and cape. He then pulled his hands together, a light blue energy developing in his hands. _What is he doing?_

**"Ice-Make, Geyser!" **Gray yelled, slamming his hands against the ground in front of him. Suddenly the ground began to freeze at a rapid speed, stretching out towards Igneel. He watched as the dragon quickly took to the sky, dodging the tower of ice spikes that broke through the surface. He grimaced at his failed attack.

_What just happened? _Lucy demanded from Igneel. _And don't ignore me!_

_**He's a mage! **_Igneel snapped. _**Isn't it obvious? An ice mage at that.**_

Lucy wanted to flinch under his tone. Of course! The boy would be a mage, having a better chance at defeating Igneel than an average prince with no magic. Unfortunately she didn't know too much on the subject. _I wasn't around mages..._She replied half-heartily. _Father outlawed magic from our kingdom._

_**Outlawed? **_The dragon suddenly rolled to the side, dodging the many ice arrows that struck through the air. He continued to barrel roll out of harm's way as a growl began to develop deep in his throat. _**I've had enough of this. Fire Dragon's Roar! **_Igneel opened his mouth and released a brilliant stream of fire from his mouth striking down upon where Gray stood. He watched in anger as the mage unleashed a giant shield of ice in front of him for protection. The dragon hovered in the air for a moment before landing in front of the mage, sending him a menacing glare. _**Not bad...for a cold-hearted man.**_

**"Cold-hearted?" **Gray echoed, putting his hands behind his back. **"Really, I haven't said any insults to you during this entire thing." **He took a step forward only to stop as Igneel let out a growl. A smirk appeared on his face. **"But if you insist, Ice-Make Prison!" **Pulling his glowing hands out from behind him, the ice mage leaped into the air above Igneel and placed his hands out in front of them. Blue energy escaped from them and a large square cage began to developed high over the dragon's head reaching down all the way to the ground which captured him completely. Gray balanced on top of the cage for a moment before jumping down onto the ground to stare at the dragon.

**"I don't want to kill you, lizard," **Gray said calmly. He backed away as Igneel blew smoke from his nose. Doing his best to avoid walking near the cage, he headed towards the tower. **"I'll be back once I bring the Princess out of there. Then I'll release you." **He threw his hand up in farewell.

Lucy let out a gasp. _Igneel, you can't let him get away so easily._ Suddenly, she froze remembering that he was looking for her. She couldn't be found if she was stuck talking with Igneel. She could only imagine what he would find, an unconscious princess... _He can't see me in this state if I'm still with you! _she yelled. _I can wind up being raped!_

The dragon chortled in amusement. _**Have no fear, Princess. **_He felt the Princess's confusion settle in and he began to tilt his head back, mouth a gape. A fireball began to develop within it, becoming bigger in mere seconds. _**Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame! **_He quickly released the attack; it fired in a giant explosion and melted the cage with ease. The sound caught the attention of Gray. Igneel stood before him snarling menacingly. _**Thought you could capture me in that puny fortress?**_

Gray chuckled, putting his hands together in preparation of another spell. **"I must admit," **he replied. **"But I'm not giving up so easily. Ice-Make Cannon!" **

A large bazooka like structure developed in his hands similar to a handheld cannon. He pulled the trigger and a giant cannonball made of ice hurtled towards the dragon. Igneel held his ground as the giant ball of ice headed towards him. As he watched, his fangs began to glow with a fiery glow. _**Fire Dragon's Crushing Fang! **_

Timing the attack, he lashed out at it with a powerful bite. The ice cracked at the touch of his fangs and broke into a million shards. Gray stared in dismay. _**Now it's my turn for tricks! Fire Dragon's Wing Attack. **_Igneel flew towards the mage, his wings engulfing in flames and quickly attacked, causing Gray to fall back near the lava. Gray struggled to get to his feet only for Igneel to quickly trap him beneath his claws. _**Now I'll finish you off. Fire Dragon's -**_

_Igneel stop!_

The dragon hesitated in mid attack, keeping a firm grip on his opponent. His eyes narrowed in annoyance. _**Princess, I must finish this!**_

_You don't have to kill him, _she wailed. The princess had watched enough of this; the battle going on for so long. At times she wasn't sure who was going to have the upper hand, but she could clearly see now how powerful Igneel truly was. _Just let him go...I can't stand to watch another death._

Igneel let out a sigh. _**If that is what you wish. **_He turned his attention back to Gray, baring his fangs to make sure he got his message across. _**Listen to me and listen to me well. You will leave this place and never return in exchange for me letting you go with your life. Do you understand?**_

Gray blinked in surprise. **"You're letting me go?" **he asked astonished.

_**Just answer the damn question!**_

**"Fine, dragon. I will leave. Is there any other request?"**

Igneel let out a snort, lifting his claws. _**Yes, now get out! **_He let out a growl, watching the man get up and made his way across the bridge. Once he was gone he snorted with contempt. _**Honestly Princess, you can't meddle with all the fights.**_

_I know, _she whispered. _I just have one request Igneel. Please, don't kill any of the princes that come to rescue me. I beg of you._

_**If that is what you wish Princess. **_

Suddenly the pressure within Lucy's head began to happen again. She realized that Igneel was releasing her from their merge from earlier. As her vision began to take on what was inside of her room, her head began to spin. The princess found herself on her feet and slumped to the floor, holding her head until everything stopped spinning. Was every battle going to be this way? She certainly hoped not as she had kept quiet through the entire thing but she worried about the outcome of each battle. It was an experience she could have never imagined but seeing Gray held beneath Igneel's clutches hurt her to see.

_**Princess?**_

She looked up, seeing Igneel staring her through her window. She rolled her eyes as she walked towards the window. _Stalker dragon._

_**I am not, **_he replied. _**Are you alright?**_

_Just a bit shaken from the battle...that's all._

_**More like you were hurt. I will never let you go through that again.**_

**"No!" **she shouted aloud. From the dragon's expression she could tell he got that without her even having to think it. _No, you don't have to do that. It was...a wondrous experience. I'd love to do it again as long as you don't kill anyone._

_**Why is this killing bothering you so much?**_

Lucy sighed and turned away from the dragon. _It's nothing. Look, I'm tired from the experience and I'd like to go to bed if that's alright._Igneel stared at her for another moment before disappearing from the window. She knew he would tell her goodnight later on when she was beginning to fall asleep. For some strange reason the dragon had a good sense for how she was feeling. Sighing she made her way towards the bathroom. **"Perhaps I'll tell him another time."**


	4. A Promise to the Stars

**(A/N: This chapter has a flashback which will all be italicized) I'm so sorry about the long awaited update but my laptop ate this chapter at one point which took it a bit longer than usual. I'd like to think you all for being wonderful followers/reviewers of this story. That's what keeps me/it going! I'm also sorry for not getting back to all of your reviews, but I will so don't you all worry! ~CeruShimRu15**

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><p>The princess sat her desk, writing away in the journal she had created while living life in the tower. After the defeat of Prince Gray, Lucy had tumbled into a state a depression. No longer was it thanks to the feeling of being lonely but just the thought of death had troubled her completely. Many times Igneel would appear and to question her why she was being so secretive about the whole thing but he always got the same cold shoulder. Eventually the dragon gave up and began on working useful ways to bring the princess back up to par.<p>

Lucy stopped, giggling to herself as she remembered the dragon spouting off jokes in her head as he tried to cheer her up. Many of them had been ones that she either didn't understand or were too cheesy to laugh at. When he had noticed the lack of work they were doing he turned to doing tricks with his fire but even that was a failure. The blonde had thought he had given up when suddenly she noticed smoke was flying by her window however the smoke clouds appeared to be in different shapes. The one that had caught her attention was none other than one in the shape of a small princess. Lucy had smiled at the images, watching the different ones floating away into the night sky. Igneel had stopped when he noticed the smile on her face and shot his own attempt of a grin back to her.

The girl leaned back in her chair, balancing it on two legs and sighed; to think the event had only happened a few weeks ago. There hadn't been a sign of another prince and the time in the tower was beginning to go by rather slow. **"Oh how I wish there was something else to do," **she whined, staring up at the ceiling. Writing was beginning to become a boring routine and when she wasn't doing that she was playing around in the kitchen or walking the halls of the tower. Suddenly, the princess lost her balance and fell onto the floor with a loud thump.

**"Ouch!" **Lucy stayed on the floor, muttering away at her mistake. She began to feel a tickle in her mind and smiled. _I'm alright Igneel._

_**Are you sure? **_the dragon question. _**That sounded liked it hurt.**_

_I've had worse falls than this._

_**Weirdo...**_

The blonde bit back a retort. If she had learned anything by now this was one thing, she would always be a weirdo to Igneel. Sighing she settled herself into a sitting position on the floor. She had to admit, having a caring dragon wasn't such a bad thing but she wouldn't mind getting out of the tower for once. Her mind drifted to the experience when Igneel had last merged their minds together. That was practically her only escape out the tower. Just by her going outside seemed to be a downfall as she was pretty much risking her life with that lacrima filled bridge. Putting a hand to her chin, she pouted.

She was surrounded by so much magic that she hated she didn't know anything about it. The bridge was magic, the prince was a mage and her dragon was actually real...a real living, fire breathing dragon. As she thought about it, Igneel seemed so different from the stories she was told when she was younger by the royal story tellers. Besides his fire attacks, the merging of their minds and emotions was rather shocking to learn about and also him talking to her in her mind. He seemed to be invincible to her though she remembered how the dragon had mentioned something about dragon slayers but never finished his explanation.

_Hey Igneel, _she began. _Can I ask you about something?_

_**Sure Princess, **_the dragon beamed.

_You remember that time you told me that the only person that can defeat a dragon is a dragon slayer themselves? I thought all princes were trained to defeat them but you speak differently about them. Why is that?_ Suddenly the princess felt a coldness creep into her skin causing her to shiver. She realized this was coming from Igneel's onset of uneasiness. _You don't have to discuss it if you don't want to._

_**No, **_Igneel sighed. _**You have a right to know as you hardly know anything about magic at all...for starters, like the name states Dragon Slayers are those who are trained in the art of Dragon Slayer magic. They learn this magic from a dragon itself. Once learned, their body becomes like a dragon, allowing them to use the element they were trained in for combat and protection, have a heighten sense of smell and they can also eat the element to replenish themselves.**_

_So...like those crazy fire-eaters that would show up at the castle during some of Father's parties?_

_**Did that have long canines and sometimes scaly skin?**_

_No..._

_**Then no. It is nothing like what those stupid humans attempted. Besides, a Dragon Slayer will be well protected from their element why those silly humans won't. Now as I was saying, a Dragon Slayer will become like a dragon but this is usually seen in their final stage called, Dragon Force.**_

Lucy blinked in confusion. _What's Dragon Force?_

_**Dragon Force makes the Dragon Slayer's body even more like a dragon, enhancing their senses, magic and physical properties such as they obtain scaly skin and become even better in combat. Dragon Slayer's are the true enemies of dragons because they can easily defeat the one of their element if not one of another though it might be more challenging. That's why a human prince won't be able to save you but perhaps a mage might be able to buy him sometime to rescue you.**_

_So you're saying the only person who can rescue me is a Dragon Slayer himself? But Igneel, what will happen to you?_

_**Hopefully I won't be killed.**_

The princess picked up the sarcasm in the dragon's voice. _This is serious Igneel. Why didn't you tell me this before? _she demanded.

_**I didn't feel you needed to know but your persistent sees otherwise. Besides, I think it's good if you learn a few things on magic while you're here. That castle kept you away from the real world.**_

**"Perhaps that was better for me," **she murmured to herself, remembering to not utter it in her thoughts. Suddenly the sound of a turning doorknob caught her attention. Lucy quickly jumped up from her sitting place and launched herself to her bed. Who could have possibly gotten into the tower and past Igneel at that? _Igneel, someone is in the tower! _There was no response causing her to suddenly sweat drop in fear. She quickly jumped underneath her covers cowering in fear.

**"Princess," **a voiced called. **"Where are you?"**

Lucy blinked. That voice...it sounded vaguely familiar. If she remembered correctly it was, **"Virgo!" **she yelled, throwing the sheets aside. She quickly hurdled towards the pink haired girl, squeezing her into a tight hug. She buried her face into the girl's clothes doing her best to put it in her mind that the girl was actually there. The blonde pulled herself away, tears beginning to develop in her eyes. **"Virgo, I've missed you so much. But...what are you doing here?"**

**"And I've missed you too, Princess," **she replied, a smile upon her face. Her blue eyes fluttered around the room. **"Did you forget that your father allows me to visit you twice a month, bringing you whatever you want or helping you do something around the tower?"**

The princess blushed, twirling her finger within her hair. **"I guess I sort of have thanks to having Igneel around."**

Virgo blinked. **"Igneel?"**

**"He's the dragon that's protecting me." **Lucy pulled her friend towards the window. _Oh Igneel, say hello to Virgo will you? _One of the dragon's bright eye suddenly appeared at the window. He let out a tiny grunt before disappearing again within seconds. Lucy frowned. That was highly unlike Igneel. She decided to shrug it off and turned back to Virgo. **"So you can do anything, right?"**

**"Yes ma'am. Anything that you wish for me to bring you something back upon my next visit?"**

Lucy thought for a moment. **"Well when I first got here I remember that I wanted a cookbook if that's alright."**

**"Anything else?" **Virgo questioned.

**"Hmm...perhaps a book on magic."**

T he pink haired girl smiled. **"You're enjoying your stay with the dragon I see." **She turned towards the window and eyed it for a moment. **"In that case, how about I convert that window into a balcony? That way you can see more of the dragon minus his eye."**

The blonde looked towards the window. That seemed like that could take ages for someone to accomplish. **"You could do that?" **Lucy turned to look at Virgo only to gasp. The girl was already in an constructor's outfit! The maid tipped her hat towards her.

**"It would take me no longer than today." **She smiled. **"Why don't you go spend the day with your dragon? I'm sure you haven't stepped outside of this place at all."**

Lucy chuckled nervously. If she only knew how she had spent her first day here. **"I think that'll be a wonderful idea Virgo."**

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><p>Igneel was fast asleep once Lucy had arrived outside. She couldn't help but smile at the sight of the dozing dragon. He was really a magnificent creature to look at, something she had never noticed before. She walked over to him quietly, before poking his snout. The dragon opened one eye to gaze at her before yawning. A small plume of smoke escaped from his nostrils.<p>

_**What brings you outside, Princess? **_Igneel questioned. He opened both of his eyes to look at her only to blink in confusion. Lucy realized the dragon wasn't used to seeing her in this type of attire. Normally she was caught in sundresses, but she decided to change it up and be in a fitted t-shirt, shorts, and boots. There wasn't any use of being dressed up all the time if she wasn't in the castle anymore.

"**Virgo wants to add a balcony to the tower," **she explained. **"So she said I should spend the day out here with you."**

The dragon raised his head to get a better view of the girl. _**Well, she does have a lot going on…**_

Lucy looked behind her only to gasp. Sure enough, Virgo was already setting up the balcony quite well. She could see planks stretching out from the tower. She sighed. How could she possibly ever underestimate the work ethic of Virgo? The girl was known for doing things at an extremely fast pace that it made her wonder sometimes.

_**Excuse me Princess, **_Igneel asked. _**But what is that thing on your arm?**_

The Princess smiled. **"It's a picnic basket," **she replied, settling it down on the ground and took a blanket out of it. **"I figured what better way to spend a day with this nice weather, in an isolated place, than to have a picnic." **She began taking out a stack of sandwiches followed by a jug of lemonade. She noticed Igneel beginning to sniff at the food suspiciously, and she quickly unwrap a sandwich, holding it out towards him. **"Here, try this. It's a ham sandwich…I decided on all meats since you're a dragon."**

_**You don't know what I eat, **_the dragon teased. Nonetheless, he swiftly took the sandwich from her hand with a swish of his tongue, pulling it back into his mouth similar to a frog. He gulped it down within seconds, smacking his lips to savor the taste. A smile appeared on his face. _**That was pretty good! Mind if I have another?**_

Lucy giggled. **"Of course. I made many so you can help yourself." **She took a few for herself and left the rest for Igneel. She fixed herself a glass of lemonade as she watched the dragon begin to take sandwiches for himself. He began gobbling then down with ease, treating them all with the same happy expression on his face once he finished them. Each time he would let out a tiny sigh before tackling the next sandwich. In no time, he finished them all. A tiny whine escaped him which caught Lucy's attention. **"Well it's nice to see you enjoyed my work."**

_**Work..? Sandwiches are food. **_He pushed his nose towards her. _**Care to make more?**_

The princess pushed the giant snout away, chuckling. **"Perhaps another time, alright? You ate a lot of them, you know?"**

_**That was nothing for a dragon.**_

Lucy rolled her eyes. _Someone sure is cocky…_

_**Thanks for the compliment.**_

The blonde froze before face palming. How could she be so stupid and forget that Igneel could hear her thoughts unless she blocked them from him? She had to admit her screw up was actually funny to herself. She glanced at the sky seeing the sun was beginning to set; this day had really gone by so fast. Sighing, she leaned back into the grass, closing her eyes and took a deep breath of the scents of nature. Back home she would never be able to do something like this. Living in the tower was just a small step into her new world of freedom. She opened her eyes to see Igneel holding his head over her, staring her over. Lucy blinked in surprised before edging away from the dragon.

_**What did I do? **_He questioned.

"**Oh nothing," **she replied. **"It's just something weird to see when you open your eyes." **

The dragon let out a snort. _**Whatever… Princess, may I ask you a question?**_

Lucy sighed before closing her eyes again. The lush grass really was refreshing underneath her skin. **"Of course, Igneel; what is it?"**

_**Why does killing bother you so much?**_

The blonde opened her eyes and quickly sat up. Dread seeped within her as she knew this question was bound to come up eventually. She just never expected it to happen so soon. Lucy sighed, folding her knees up to chest and then rested her head upon them. **"I guess you deserve to know after my request," **she mumbled. She paused only to feel Igneel's regret touching her mind. She quickly brushed the feeling away. **"Don't feel bad about asking! I was going to tell you anyway." **Her eyes traveled up back into the sky, staring at the now disappearing sun. **"It all happened about ten years ago…."**

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><p><em>The small young girl ambled down the hallways of the castle. She could hardly contain her excitement, the bright aura almost eliminating from her as she raced to her mother's room past the many servants. She knew she was breaking one of her father's rules but her mother never held her against; her mother always saw past any of her faults. But none of that matter at this moment. After doing her studies like her mother wanted her too she had finally figured out the two constellations she had spotted in the sky a few days ago. She remembered as her mother had quizzed her and only stated she wouldn't tell her the answer as it proved she wasn't doing what she was told. Now after so much work, the princess was positive of the two constellations now.<em>

"_**Mommy! I figured out the constellations we saw the other night," **__she yelled as she burst into the room. Her voice dropped when she saw the many eyes that turned to her, one belonging to her father and the rest were some of the castle's servants. She spotted her mother who was still lying in bed. __**"Mommy, what's wrong?"**_

"_**Virgo," **__her father whispered. __**"I want you to get Lucy out of here at once."**_

"_**No, allow her to stay."**_

_Lucy smiled at the voice of her mother and raced towards the bed. Her father began backing away, standing aside from them to give the females more space. The princess stared at her mother for a moment. For her, it was like looking into a mirror only to have an older version of herself. The blonde loved looking exactly like her mother because she was simply beautiful, however today her beauty seemed to be bother by something the young girl couldn't comprehend._

"_**Why are you still in bed, Mommy?" **__she questioned._

_The queen turned to look at her and held out her hand for her daughter to hold. __**"The savage coughs have weakened me, darling," **__she replied. She moved her hand up to the princess's cheek and stroked it for a few. __**"But please, tell me the constellations you have identified."**_

"_**Well you remember they right next to each other, right?"**_

_Queen Layla nodded. __**"Yes there was a big complex one and a smaller one made up of at least ten stars. Which was the smallest one?"**_

"_**The smaller constellation was Lyra, the harp."**_

"_**Very good. Now what type of key would she be?"**_

"_**A silver one," **__the girl beamed. __**"Oh, Mommy, I can only imagine the beauty of her songs. Can't you?"**_

"_**Yes," **__her mother replied. __**"I bet they are truly beautiful." **__She paused for a moment, staring off blankly. __**"Lucy, will you promise me something?"**_

_The princess nodded eagerly. __**"Of course!"**_

"_**Promise me that you will continue your studies even if something happens to me."**_

"_**Something like what?" **__she asked innocently._

_Her mother waved the question away. __**"It's not important. Just promise me, okay?"**_

"_**I promise."**_

_The two exchanged a loving smile that could only be found between a mother and her child but was interrupted by a cough. The queen's body began to shake as she continued to cough. Quickly, her husband rushed forward at once, pulling Lucy away. The princess tried to make way back towards the bed only to feel a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw the blue eyes of Virgo who shook her head and began ushering her away from the room._

"_**What's happening?" **__the child demanded once they were in the corridor. __**"Why wouldn't you let me get back to my mother?"**_

"_**I'm afraid I can't tell you, Princess," **__the woman replied. __**"Or let you. It's your father's wishes if something happens. He doesn't want you to see."**_

"_**To see what?"**_

_Before Virgo could reply, Lucy brushed past her. She opened the door again in time to see everyone crowded around her mother's bed. The princess felt an uneasy seep within her, not knowing what was going on. She began approaching the bed quietly only to stop dead as she heard uneven breathing. She didn't have to go any further to know who the voice belonged to. Making sure she wasn't heard, she slipped back out of the room expecting to find Virgo but was only alone instead. Suddenly, she dropped to her knees; tears began streaming from her eyes. None of this made any sense! What was happening to her mother and why wouldn't anyone tell her? She continued to sob until she heard the door open._

_Looking over she saw the grave face of her father. She wiped away some of her tears, calling out his name but was completely ignored. Many others began to file out of their room which gave Lucy enough time to sneak back in. Once inside she stood beside her mother's beside, noticing her face had begun to pale. __**"Mommy?" **__she croaked. She froze, feeling hands on her shoulder and saw Virgo had reappeared. She ignored the woman and turned back to her mother. __**"Mommy, what's happening?"**_

_The queen turned to look at her daughter. __**"Don't fear for me Princess," **__she responded, closing her eyes. __**"Just know that I always love you and the spirits will always protect you."**_

_Lucy blinked. __**"What do you mean?" **__There was no reply which quickly caused her to panic. __**"Mommy? Mommy!" **__At the sound of her scream, people began to invade the room. Her father was one of the first to appear who only gave Lucy a look before nodding towards Virgo. With this, the young princess was pulled away from the action once again with tears streaming from her eyes. Once outside she quickly pulled away from Virgo. __**"Why! Why didn't you tell me what was going on?"**_

"_**You weren't suppose to see anything like that happen," **__the servant pleaded. __**"Princess, please I'm sorry."**_

"_**Sorry? How can I possibly forgive you? I hate you Virgo!..."**_

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><p>"<strong>My mother was pronounced dead soon after that," <strong>Lucy murmured, closing her eyes. **"Not too long after that, father began taking away all of my study material and banned magic from the kingdom." **She stopped, to sigh. **"I can never forget that day of my mother's death or forgive myself for uttering those words to Virgo.**" She opened her eyes, gazing at the befuddled Dragon. **"But, she never held me to those words and she's stayed loyal to me, even to this day."**

_**I'm so sorry for asking you about that, **_Igneel replied. _**That must have been tough for you to tell me.**_

Lucy smiled. **"Actually, it was a lot easier telling you that than other people I've ever met." **She turned her attention towards the sky and noticed the stars were out already. **"I'm pretty sure mother is up there with the spirits now."**

The dragon turned his head towards the sky. _**What was the other constellation you had to tell your mother?**_

"**That's easy, it-"**

"**Princess!" **Virgo called. She dipped her head in greeting. **"Sorry for interrupting you but I have finished the job. You may punish me now."**

Igneel sweated dropped. _**Punish her?**_

Lucy chuckled. _That started thanks to me "hating" her…_She turned to Virgo. **"Thank you Virgo but there will be no punishment." **She stood up staring at the work. In this lighting, it looked to be a reasonable size that stretched out from what she guessed to be her window or…uh door? She couldn't wait to try it out eventually. **"It looks wonderful."**

"**Then I shall be making my leave," **the maid replied. **"I'll see you in a couple of weeks, Princess."**

The princess nodded in agreement and waved towards Virgo as she walked away. Once she was out of view, a yawn escaped the blonde. She fell back into the grass, taking in its comfort. **"I really don't want to take on those stairs!" **she whined.

Igneel chuckled. _**Then don't. **_He padded over to her and began to wrap himself around her, pulling her close to his side while his tail rested near his head. _**I'm pretty sure I can keep you warm and safe out here for tonight.**_

"**That's very kind of you Igneel, but-"** she cut off as the dragon raised his wings which began to blot out the sky. Lucy stared in amazement as she could see through the light pink like membrane of the wings. The body heat from Igneel was pouring off making her extremely warm. It was almost as if she was within a tent which caused her to sigh in contentment. _This is really nice…_

_**Glad you like it. Now, sleep tight, Princess and sweet dreams.**_

She smiled. _Good night to you too, Igneel. _Turning over onto her side, she got comfortable before falling into a deep slumber for the night. Little did she know, her dreams of dancing star spirits awaited her with a certain dragon constellation as well.


	5. The Clash Between Two Dragons

**(A/N: I apologize for the long wait everyone. My AP chem class has just started reviewing for the AP exam in May so it might make me a tad bit hiatus but I'm not going to leave you all hanging with the stories, you can believe that. I worked all day on this chapter so hopefully it shouldn't sound rush. If you notice anything like that, I do apologize. Enjoy and remember to review ^_^ )**

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><p>The low rumble of thunder caught the princess's attention, causing her to sigh. It had been raining, practically storming for over three days now. None of it made any sense to her but then again she couldn't predict the weather. She was just grateful that she didn't hear any rain tapping against the new balcony's door. She got to her feet and walked outside. The ground below had many mud spots and puddles created by her dragon protector. She knew she wouldn't be going down there any time soon.<p>

_Igneel, _she sent. _Are you around anywhere?_

In response, the dragon raised its head out of the small pool of lava. _**Has it finally stopped raining? **_He whined.

Lucy giggled. For Igneel to be such a powerful fire dragon, he still couldn't stand water. _For now but I heard thunder a little while ago._

Igneel snorted, climbing out of his hiding place. _**Why must it rain? There are enough rivers and oceans to go around! Where's there water, there's bound to be ice!**_

A frown appeared on the blonde's face. _Are you still upset about your fight with Prince Gray?_

_**Upset? **_Igneel swung his head towards her, blowing smoke from his nostrils. _**I don't know the meaning of the word! **_When he caught the faint laugh of the princess he growled and turned deliberately away. _**He was nothing but a stripper anyway….I don't know why but the thought of him just irritates me.**_

Lucy blinked, leaning over the balcony. **"A jealous dragon,"** she whispered. Well she had never expected this to happen. Suddenly, another growl escaped Igneel; the fire dragon turned his attention to her, his voice coming in a commanding form.

_**Go back inside. I smell a rat.**_

Lucy scowled but followed his order, closing the door behind her. _What's this of a rat? _She questioned.

Her answer came as a familiar pressure began to compress into her mind. The blonde quickly sat down as her senses began to merge with Igneel's once again. She could feel his agitation as they stared off at an approaching figure. Lucy already knew it was a male as this was the only thing that would cause Igneel to become highly upset. The male began to make his way across the bridge; his blonde hair stuck out against his purple coat trimmed with fur. What caught the princess's attention most was the scar alongside his face. Igneel held his ground as the man approached, towering over him easily.

"**So you're the dragon I have to slay?"** the man boomed.

_**Perhaps, **_the dragon replied. _**What's the name of my opponent?**_

"**Laxus Dreyar, the prince of Fairy Tail. I came at once when I heard of this woman's bosom."**

_Perv! _Lucy spat. _Igneel, get rid of him at once!_

The fire dragon rolled his eyes. _**I'm afraid I can't let you see her as this is the end of your journey. Leave now before I attack.**_

"**I'm afraid you're misunderstanding me, dragon," **Laxus growled. **"Lightning Eruption!"** Suddenly, the ground began to rumble and a large lightning bolt ripped through the surface, striking Igneel in a single blow. When the lightning cleared the dragon was seen lying on his belly. Laxus scowled in annoyance. He was looking for a challenge not an easy walk in the park. When he saw a twitch of the dragon's wings, he smirked and walked towards Igneel, placing one of his muddy boots on the snout of the beast. **"You see dragon, I am a dragon slayer. You'll have to work to defeat me."**

Igneel open one of his eyes, staring at the boot before snorting it away. _**Well I'll be damned…**_He quickly took to the sky only to hover as a bolt of lightning struck near him. _**I have to fight you in this storm? You planned this!**_

Laxus only chuckled. **"I'm afraid not, dragon; I just got lucky."**

_Igneel…_Lucy whispered to the dragon. _Do you think you'll be able to defeat him?_

_**I…I don't know, **_he replied, gazing down at the man below him. _**I've never faced a dragon slayer before, but I won't let him win if you wish not to go with him.**_

The princess sighed. _I really don't._

"**Are you paying me any attention?"**

Igneel froze, turning around to see Laxus beside him and received a punch to the face. The dragon recoiled, growling in rage. He was confused at how the man was able to float in the sky with him until he noticed the human was engulfed in lighting completely. _**It looks like aerial combat won't be a good use like I hoped for. **_He flew back towards the ground, landing with ease. Narrowing his eyes, Igneel opened his mouth sending out a large flame. _**Fire Dragon's Roar! **_

Laxus easily maneuvered around the attack thanks to the use of his Lightning Body and landed a few feet away. Igneel stared in shocked at how his signature attacked had missed so easily. The Lightning Dragon Slayer only chuckled in amusement. **"Nice try," **Laxus replied. **"But try this on for size. Thunder Bullets!" **The blonde held up his arm outstretched, with both of the palms open, and create spheres of lighting around his forearm. Suddenly, lightning orbs began to fire away from them towards the dragon at high speed.

Igneel stared at the orbs as his claws began to glow with a fiery intensity. _**Fire Dragon's Claw! **_He raked his claws at each of the orbs catching them all within his single blow. The touch between fire and lightning caused a giant explosion causing the dragon to take flight back into the sky to save himself from the backfire. He saw the smoke beginning to clear and saw that it had damaged Laxus some. Igneel took this as the chance to strike while the man was still blinded. He flew backwards a bit before diving forward towards his enemy and began to engulf his entire body in flames. _**Fire Dragon's Sword Horn! **_He rammed into the blonde haired man, sending him flying into the sky. Igneel hovered once before landing on the ground, watching Laxus land a couple yards away.

The dragon let out a snort. _**And that's that.**_ His tone became softer as he continued, releasing Lucy from the connection they had made earlier. _**What do you think of that, Princess?**_

Lucy rubbed hear head as her own senses returned. _That was…..something, _she replied. She got to her feet, ignoring the dragon as he began to rant on about every move he struck against Laxus. Rolling her eyes, the princess turned her attention back towards the window. Suddenly she caught sight of Laxus beginning to move; her eyes grew huge in shock. _Igneel! Stop it!_

The dragon stopped midsentence of his boasting. _**That's not very nice of you to be interrupting me, **_he snorted, turning his eyes towards the princess.

_No that's not it! Look out behind you!_

_**Behind….? **_Igneel followed the princess's orders only to find Laxus standing on his feet. The dragon let out a growl. _**So you're still up for fighting?**_

Laxus chuckled as he regained his balance, staring defiantly at the dragon before him. **"Honestly, I've had enough of our little games. It's time that I'd finish this." **He paused, glaring at the dragon once more and then took in a deep breath. **"Lightning Dragon's Roar!" ** A destructive beam of lightning was released from his mouth and headed towards Igneel. Just as the dragon began flying out of harm's way, Laxus swung his head making the lightning move in a giant arc. Once it hit, Igneel came crashing back down onto the ground. Laxus finished his attack, staring at the dragon that now lay before him. **"Go on and get up," **he sneered. **"I dare you to."**

Igneel shifted his eyes towards his opponent only for them to grow wide in shock. He couldn't feel his legs or wings at all. _**What have you done to me? **_He demanded.

_You're paralyzed! _Lucy gasped in shock. She had stood and watched the scene from behind the door of her balcony. _You have to try and fight it, before he attacks you._

_**That's easier said than done.**_

"**It's a pity," **Laxus said. **"It's look like I'll have to finish you off already." **He lifted his arm up into the air. **"Don't worry; this will be quick and full of pain."**

_What is this that I'm getting from him? _Lucy whispered to herself, ignoring the fact that Igneel could hear. _It's like I feel a strong magical power coming off of him…but how?_

"**Resounding through the air…."**

_Igneel! You have to get out of there!_

** "The roar of thunder…."**

_**I can't Princess, **_Igneel croaked. _**This might be the end…**_

"**Plunge from the heavens and reap destruction!" **the prince gave one final look at the dragon, before lifting his head towards the sky, the final words echoing in the valley. "**Raging –"**

"**Stop!"**

Laxus blinked watching as a giant bolt of lightning descended from the sky, racing towards Igneel only stopping a few feet short before vaporizing in midair. The dragon stared at the lost attack in shock before sighing in relief. The dragon slayer, however, was furious and turned towards the balcony to see the voice of his interrupter. **"Ah, Princess," **he growled. **"You finally reveal yourself. If I knew attacking your dragon this much would bring you out I would have done this earlier."**

"**I'm sorry to keep you waiting," **Lucy said. **"But please, just leave him alone. After all, all you want is me, correct?"**

_**Princess! What are you doing? **_Igneel demanded.

_Hush! _She chided. _Just go with it and wait to regain your ability to move again._

"**That you are right, Princess," **Laxus replied. **"But by the words of your father, the dragon must be killed before I take you away from this treacherous place. Then we can leave and marry off. I'm sure you'll be very well protected."**

"**The thing is….I do not believe in killing. Why don't you just come up here instead since you **_**did **_**paralyze the dragon, if I remember correctly?"**

"**That you do, but the time only lasts for a few, so I must kill him."**

Lucy shifted her gaze over towards Igneel who was beginning to stir in his position. She could tell he just needed a little more time. **"Well then, if you kill the dragon then you cannot have me." **She turned her head away, pretending to pout.

"**Come now Princess," **Laxus coaxed. **"Don't be so hard on me. Say, let's make a deal. If I don't kill the dragon will you let me have something in return as I'm already breaking your father's wishes?"**

The princess raised an eyebrow, turning her attention back towards him. **"And what could that possibly be?"**

"**If I don't kill the dragon, let me get an early look at that rack of yours."**

_Ack! Gross, this guy is worse than an old perv…Igneel! _**"S-sure," **she said, forcefully. **"Just make your way towards the door down there."**

"**That I will."**

Suddenly a growl began to echo through the valley. Laxus turned around seeing Igneel standing back on his feet, but now the dragon's body had now taken on an eerie red glow. The Lightning Dragon Slayer took a step back, recognizing the intensified power coming off of the dragon.

"**Dragon Force," **Laxus gasped. **"But you should be weakened!"**

_**I'm not going to let you have the Princess that easily! **_Igneel snarled.

"**I guess I'm going to have to kill you in another way! Lightning Dragon's Heavenward Halberd!" **

Laxus began forming lightning between his hands and then wielded it into a large spear out. He then threw it towards Igneel at a great force as it traveled at a high speed. The dragon held his ground, opening his mouth to take in the giant attack and swallowed it whole instantly. This caused him to move back a couple of yards, before shaking his head. He let out a small cough before smiling.

_**Well, that sure filled me up. Thanks for the meal.**_

"**How in- you're not supposed to be able to eat that!"**

Igneel chuckled. _**I'm not the type that follows the rules. **_Suddenly, then dragon began to be engulfed in fire and lightning combined in an intensive glow. Igneel studied this for a moment before grinning; he caught Laxus beginning to back away cautiously. _**Odd, normally I feel all fired up but I guess this means something completely different. **_He narrowed his eyes at the opponent. _**This is the end, Laxus. Lightning Flame Dragon's Brilliant Flame!**_

Igneel opened his mouth to release a flame which was surrounded by lightning. Suddenly the two combined in midair and began to surround Laxus in a giant circle. The blonde stared in shock as the attacked suddenly closed in on him and exploded. Laxus was sent flying a few feet back landing on his side. The man began to struggle back to his feet. **"I'm not going down this easily!" **he snapped. **"Lightning Dragon's Roar!"**

_**Lightning Flame Dragon's Roar! **_Igneel released the large destructive beam from his mouth. The flaming sparking blast hurdled towards Laxus at a great speed and began to produce a powerful bright light as it struck forward. When it contacted with Laxus's attack, it caused a huge explosion. The man was propelled forward into the sky and disappeared from sight. The place where he once stood was scorched and seared from fire and lightning. The dragon lifted his head, letting out a roar of triumph before falling onto his side.

"**Igneel!" **Lucy yelled. Without even thinking, she raced down the stairs of the tower, throwing the door aside and fell to her knees beside him on the lawn. She placed her hands on the dragon's cheek, rocking it slightly to gain his attention. **"Igneel! Igneel, are you alright?" **Tears began to develop in her eyes when he didn't reply. _Damn it Igneel you can't die! I just need you to answer me!_

_**Why must you yell…?**_

The princess gasped. _Igneel! You're alive!_

_**Of course I am you weirdo! I'm just – **_he paused, noticing the tears streaming down her face. _**Why are you crying, Princess?**_

_Huh? Oh…_she stopped to wipe her eyes with her hand. _It's nothing, I'm just glad you're safe. So what's wrong with you?_

Igneel rolled his eyes. _**Humans are so emotional….I'm just tired, that's all. And I need rest...lots and lots of rest. **_He didn't wait for a reply and quickly closed his eyes.

Lucy smiled, rubbing his cheek with her hand. _Rest up well, Igneel and thank you. _She got to her feet and began making her way back towards the tower. **"I'm so happy that you're alive," **she whispered to herself. She paused, feeling a soft nudge against her mind and she knew it was Igneel's way of reassuring her he was fine and returning her thanks.

_**And thank you Princess, **_the dragon whispered.

His presences faded from her mind. Lucy turned back around only to find the dragon had already fallen into a deep slumber. She smiled softly before heading back into the tower.


	6. I'm Thankful for You

**Hello everyone! CeruShimRu here and like I promised, I would get this chapter up by today. I don't think it's my best as I feel like it's rushed O_o I have to get back into writing again so the next chapter will be better, I promise! And here's a disclaimer as I haven't did one in a while...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own_ Fairy Tail _nor do I own any of it's characters. If I did, I wouldn't be putting stuff here and I'd be rich. They belong to Hiro Mashima so make sure to send him some love you guys :3**

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><p>For Lucy, waking up the past few mornings had been rough thanks to their last run in with Prince Laxus. She and Igneel hadn't heard anything else come from the dragon slayer but she was still worried nonetheless. At night her dreams were always interrupted by the blonde man returning and killing Igneel in cold blood. This would only cause her to wake up in a cold sweat, gaining some comfort from Igneel, if he was aware of her nightly torments. Now she laid in her bed, staring up the ceiling. She didn't want to get up from her warm covers of her bed for as long as she lived.<p>

_**Nice to see you're awake, Princess.**_

Lucy sighed. _Igneel, _she whined, pulling the covers over her head. _Can't you let me have just a few minutes of alone time?_

Igneel chuckled. _**As much as I'd like to, I'm afraid that I cannot allow it. You have a visitor.**_

_A visitor? _Lucy sat up in her bed in astonishment. _At this hour?_

_**Princess, it's the afternoon; but yes, it's that pink haired lady that visits…uh what was her name again? Victor? Virginia?**_

_Virgo! _Lucy exclaimed, realizing the name Igneel was trying to come up with. For some reason he wasn't good with them which she never understood. Ignoring the fact she was still in her pajamas, Lucy leaped from her bed and raced to her balcony. Staring down below, she saw her servant standing with her dragon protector. At once she waved which caught the eye of Virgo. In a matter of minutes, the servant made her way up the stairs of the tower and entered Lucy's room. The blonde raced over, hugging her dear friend.

"**Virgo! I'm so happy to see," **she said, smiling widely at her.

"**It's good to see you too, Princess," **Virgo replied, returning the hug. **"I have something for you." **She removed a bag from behind her, pulling out two books, one with a golden cover while the other with a navy blue cover. Lucy's eyes followed them with curiosity. **"Happy Thanksgiving, Princess."**

"**Thanksgiving!" **Lucy shouted in alarm, taking the books from Virgo. **"It can't be that time already…." **Her mind raced over how long she had been in the tower and it was matching up. She sweat dropped at this. How could she have forgotten what today was? Better yet, how could she even accept this gift from Virgo? **"I can't accept this Virgo, besides I'm not the one who's doing any work."**

"**You must take it, Princess for it's what you requested, but other one I picked up myself. Without you, I wouldn't have any work to do."**

The princess smiled at this, before hugging the books to her chest. **"I guess I never thought of it in that way," **she replied. She walked over towards her bed, patting the space beside her to welcome Virgo to sit with her. She spotted something sticking out of the woman's bag and pulled it out; amazed to see it was the plush lion she had left behind. She had completely forgotten about it. **"You brought Leon?" **she questioned.

Virgo smiled. **"Yes, Princess. Master wanted me to bring it. He didn't like the fact you had left him behind."**

A smile came to Lucy's face. She knew who she was talking about; Virgo and the others always called him their master as he was head over them all. The boy had given her Leon when she was younger, saying she would always have him watching her as long as she had the toy. She had left it behind because she thought his promise was silly now since she was being protected by a dragon now. **"Give him my thanks, will you?" **Perhaps he would help her with her ongoing nightmares.

The pink haired woman nodded. **"But of course. Now…you really should take a look at your books."**

"**Right," **she chuckled, placing Leon on her pillow. Her hands moved towards the blue one, letting out a gasp. She knew this book from her childhood but had never expected to see it again. **"Virgo, how did you-"**

"**I sent out a request to a guild, Princess," **she explained. **"That was the only way I could find this and the other book on magic you requested."**

Lucy froze. **"I was only joking about that! The cookbook was fine! Virgo, don't you know that's against father's law?"**

"**That I do. Do you wish to give me punishment?"**

"**Not a chance," **she said, waving her hand. Sighing, she began to look at the book of magic again. Well, perhaps it wasn't that much of a bad thing to have. She could learn more about Igneel now without asking him so many questions. As for the constellation book…it would bring back memories of her mother.

"**Well I must be going," **Virgo announced standing up from the bed.

"**So soon?" **Lucy trailed after her.

Virgo smiled before hugging the princess again. **"I'll be back in another set of weeks. I must go attend to our meal after all."**

"**That's right…the harvest festival too."**

"**I left some stuff for you as well," **she replied, opening the door to leave. **"Farewell for now, Princess."**

The door closed behind her, leaving Lucy to stare in confusion until it finally clicked in her head. She quickly rushed downstairs, stopping by the kitchen. Peeking in she saw Virgo had left out supplies for her to make a harvest meal of her own. She wandered into the room, spotting the cookbook left open to a certain page. Reading it over, she couldn't help but gasp. It was one the family always had in celebration of this day. The princess smiled softly, walking towards the door of the tower just in time to see Virgo had reached the other side of the bridge.

"**Have a Happy Thanksgiving Virgo!" **Lucy yelled, waving towards the woman in the distance. Virgo turned to look at her once before continuing with her walking. The princess sighed contently, happy to know her servants still did care. Suddenly, a cold nudge against her arm caught her attention.

_**Princess…what is with that weird face you're making?**_

Lucy opened her eyes to see Igneel staring at her with the expression, "you're such a weirdo". She frowned, before turning away from him. "**It's not a weird face!"**she retorted. "**I'm just….overly happy and upset that I couldn't give my friends back home a gift for Thanksgiving."**

_**Thanksgiving…? **_Igneel echoed. _**What's that? Some kind of party?**_

The blonde giggled. "**No Igneel, it's a holiday."**She turned around and began to stroke the snout of the beast before her as he settled on the ground, staring up at her with curious eyes. :**Thanksgiving, or Labor Thanksgiving Day which is its correct term, is when we give thanks to all the hard work that has been done throughout the entire year. This is my first time not celebrating it at the castle and I normally make gifts for everyone…we also celebrate the harvest festival."**

_**Sounds like a party to me if it has to do with a festival…and that means there's food.**_

"**That's what a harvest has to do with!...Oh, never mind." **She sighed, hearing Igneel let out a rumble of laughter. She figured he was only kidding. Who could ever take him so seriously? "**But I thank you, Igneel."**

_**You thank me? **_He questioned, raising his head off of the ground. _**For what reason?**_

"**You work to protect me," **she explained. "**If it wasn't for you speaking out to me on my first day here, I might still be the lonely and frighten girl I was when I first met you. You're really a good friend."**

_**Friend…..well, you're a good nakama.**_

"**Nakama," **Lucy whispered, staring out over the scenery. She had never heard that word before, but she could only hope it was good. The two sat in silence for a moment before the dragon broke it. His next question caught the princess off guard.

_**Princess…why exactly were you locked away? I mean, I know you must wait for a prince but….**_

"**You just don't understand the ways of the humans?" **Igneel lowered his eyes as his answer. Lucy chuckled before rubbing his snout again. She couldn't blame him. He was a dragon after all, so how could he understand how the kingdom was run completely? She let out a sigh.

"**It's a long story, but I'll shorten it just for you, okay?**" she said looking into his eyes. The dragon nodded slowly. **"My father wants to expand our kingdom's territory. One of the solutions is for me to marry another prince, so he chose many suitors. However, I disagree with the whole idea as I believe marriage should be based off of love and fate. That's what mother always told me. So I ruined every meeting on purpose. Being in this tower is my lesson for rebelling." **Her eyes lowered and could feel tears beginning to set in. At once Igneel noticed this and growled.

_**How does this teach you anything? **_Igneel demanded, getting to his feet. _**You're being locked away from all humans! This doesn't solve anything!**_ He began to swing his head in frustration trying to make sense of everything he just heard.

"**Don't blame father," **Lucy whispered, doing her best to hold back the rest of her tears with no luck. **"I have to blame myself as well for going against his wishes -"**

_**Do not blame yourself, do you hear me Princess?**_

The girl froze as Igneel stuck his face into her own. She had never seen that fiery look in his eyes up close. She had only felt them when she was linked with Igneel and he had been looking at all the princes that had tried to rescue her. Was this how they all had felt while facing this dragon's rage? She did her best to hold herself together. Suddenly, Igneel sighed; the anger from his eyes dissolving and he lowered his head, looking away from the princess. Lucy stared at him in confusion.

_**I'm sorry, Princess, **_he muttered. _**I don't know what came over me. **_A tiny touch on his cheek caught his attention and he turned to look back at Lucy. _**You shouldn't be here, but out there with someone you love.**_

"**Perhaps," **Lucy replied, smiling. **"But for now, I'll let fate take its course and enjoy my time with you. I'm pretty sure my prince will come one day." **The dragon didn't reply. The princess sighed before doing her best to hug him around his muzzle in comfort. **"Don't worry about it Igneel, I'm happy here. Now, let me go work on that Thanksgiving meal that Virgo left out. I'll bring you something when it's done, okay?"**

_**As you wish, Princess.**_

Lucy said nothing more to this and made her way back into the kitchen. The first thing she would have to do was wash up before she started on the meal. There was no doubt about that. She wondered if Igneel would actually enjoy of the meal. What was she thinking? He was a dragon; she was actually worried about if a dragon would like her cooking! The princess wasn't even confident in her own cooking. She tried contacting Igneel through their telepathy only to feel a mental block. She scowled. Was he still upset about her story?

Pushing the thought away, she washed her hands. So what if he was angry with her father? There was nothing he could do; nothing could be done. She was here in the tower now so why did he even care that much? Igneel had always said that humans were strange creatures so why did he even care what they did to her? As she finished drying her hands, she realized something. The dragon was actually _caring _about her….A tiny smile formed on her lips. He really was a friend but he needed to know to stop brooding over her problems. Suddenly she felt a soft nudge in her mind.

_So you return? _She questioned.

_**I'm sorry for blocking you….but I had to think about something. Will you listen to me?**_

_I'm listening…._

_**Princess, I'm thankful for you. I'm thankful for you rebelling against your father or we might have never met. I'm thankful for you teaching me about this holiday. I'm thankful for you being my nakama.**_

Lucy had to steady herself in the room. Had she just heard him right? A concern roar in her brought her back to her senses. She _had _heard him right. She had to stop the tiny tears that were beginning to develop in her eyes.

_**Princess! Did I do something wrong? Is that not how the holiday goes?**_

_No….everything you said….it was…_** "Perfect," **she whispered, wiping at her eyes as the tears broke free. _It was perfect._


	7. Unspoken Feelings

**A/N: I'm sorry for the wait everyone ._. my summer has been busy and the heat has been knocking out our power constantly D: but here's the new chapter and for everyone who has been asking...Natsu is getting ready to appear.**

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><p>Lucy could hardly believe a few months had passed since she had been here. It really didn't seem like that much time had passed for her until she sat on her bed, recollecting everything that happened. Igneel and she had happily welcomed in the New Year with the help of Virgo, but the New Year had also brought in a new set of princes. The princess was positive that they all had something in common, besides being mages; they were all a giant annoyance. Almost all of them had come out to be perverts in her eyes from the tiny old man, who could miraculously grow in size, to the man who used his type of magic that had to do with smoke. All of them had been huge turn offs for her.<p>

She was really happy when Igneel had sent all of them away. The dragon had kept his word to her about not killing any of them, though she had feared his battle with the tiny old man whose name escaped her. He almost had Igneel down for the count when she had to go with her same plan she had used on Laxus. She would never be able to live down all the things she had done to save that dragon and her own personal love life. Sighing, she turned over on her back, grabbing at Leon.

There was one prince that had stuck out to her however. The prince's name had been Hibiki. Something about him, she wasn't sure why reminded her of a friend she once had back at the castle. For all she knew it could have been his hair since they both were orange head's, but she couldn't allow Igneel to hurt him in anyway. As much as the boy had come off as sweet, she always didn't want him to kill Igneel as well so the prince was eventually sent away. As she sat here thinking, she wondered had she done the correct decision? He had seemed like a decent prince after all. The only problem they had was….._Igneel._

_**Yes Princess?**_

_Oh nothing, _she sighed. She had been blocking him from her mind for a while now after the event. She hadn't wanted to cause the dragon to fret over her. _I guess I thought out loud for a moment._

_**You've been acting very strange lately, **_Igneel replied. _**You're beginning to become even more of a weirdo than I thought.**_

_I am not a weirdo!_ She stopped when she heard the dragon chuckling in her head and smiled. _Leave it to the giant lizard to break my train of though._

_**I am not a lizard!**_

_Are too…or are you just related to them?_

_**There's no relation between dragons and lizards at all!**_

Lucy began to laugh at this only for Igneel to finally join in. It felt good to at least live a life with no problems to bother her. Igneel was becoming such good company now she really didn't care if a prince would show up to rescue her after. Suddenly she heard a rumble come from Igneel which caught her attention. She knew that rumble of his too well and prepared herself for their minds to merge, her arms still holding tightly onto Leon, she closed her eyes. When she opened them again she could see Igneel nose billowing with smoke. This wasn't like him at all. Normally the dragon would wait calmly for his opponent.

_What's wrong Igneel?_

_**It's a prince, **_he replied, annoyance easily detected in his voice. _**But his scent….it smells so familiar. I can't figure it out.**_

_It isn't Laxus is it? _Lucy asked in alarm.

_**No….I would never forget that stench. **_The dragon clenched his teeth together, gazing out as a figure appeared the bridge. His tail swished back and forth against the ground, stirring up dust. Lucy began to focus her sight on the man as he made his way across the bridge. As he came closer her eyes soon grew wide in alarm and she gasped. She did know this man! But, she didn't understand why he of all people would be here. At once, Igneel sensed her anxiety. _**What is it Princess?**_He demanded.

_That boy…..it's…._Lucy couldn't bring herself to say his name because she couldn't believe it was true. As he continued his way over everything began to add up and she began to be swept with a wave of terror. How could any of this be happening? He had the spiky strawberry blonde hair; the glasses to hide his black iris; and he even wore his black suit with a matching red tie. _Loke….Why are you here?_

_**Loke...**_Igneel echoed the name between them. He gazed at the prince as he was getting closer. _**Princess, what's wrong with him being here?**_

_It's….nothing Igneel. We just grew up in the castle together. _There was a brief moment of silence. Suddenly, Lucy felt her senses beginning to slip away from Igneel's. A feeling of panic began to overwhelm her. This had never happened before between them. Was it some kind of magic that was breaking their connection? _Igneel!_

_**Relax, Princess. I'm letting you go.**_

Lucy's eyes grew wide in shock. _But why?_

_**This boy is a friend of yours right? I wouldn't want to watch two of my nakama fight.**_

_I never said anything like that!_

_**You're emotions spoke clearly! Besides, you'd be nothing but a distraction for me.**_

_Igneel! _Lucy yelled as she found herself back in her room._Igneel! Answer me damn it! _She raced over towards the balcony window, seeing that Loke had finally made his way in front of Igneel. She wasn't sure what ticked her off more. The fact Loke could show his face or that Igneel was blocking her out. _Just don't do anything stupid you two. _Letting out a sigh, she walked back to her bed. Despite what she thought, Igneel was right. She could never bring herself to watch the two of them.

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><p><em><strong>I'm afraid this is where you'll have to stop.<strong>_

Loke looked up into the eyes of the dragon. He chuckled, shifting his glasses into their correct position on his face before sticking his hands in his pockets. **"Stop here?" **he echoed. **"But isn't this the castle that contains Princess Lucy Heartfilia?"**

_**That it does, **_Igneel growled. _**But I'm afraid she doesn't wish to see you.**_

"**Well, I'm afraid I can't just leave. You see, she's an old friend and I highly doubt she wouldn't want to see me, but if the only way for me to see her is to defeat you, then I guess we will have to go with that solution."**

Igneel narrowed his eyes at the mage. Something was different about this man in particular; he just couldn't figure it out. He snorted in annoyance. _**Don't get so cocky! Fire Dragon's Roar! **_Igneel opened his mouth and released a brilliant stream of fire from his mouth. As it headed towards his opponent, it grew into the shape of a large fireball.

In response, Loke bent his right arm, while clutching the bicep that belonged to that arm, with his left hand and began to raise the other fist into the air. He then began to move both of his arms in a circular motion as a magic seal began to appear. **"Regulus Blast!" **he called as he placed both of his hands together and began sending a large beam of light towards the fiery stream. The two collided, causing the two attacks to stop and cause a small explosion. He smirked as he heard a growl of annoyance escape Igneel. **"Now do you really want to continue this? I can easily match any of your dragon attacks."**

_**I'm not going to let you get to the Princess so easily! Crimson Lotus: Exploding Flame Blade!**_ Igneel opened his mouth to release a series of flames yet again. As they struck out at his enemy they began to take on the shape of a blade. This time the prince took his stance again, his body engulfing in a large amount of light before being released and shot at the flames, striking them down with ease and causing them to dismantle. Igneel stared at shock. _**No one has ever been able to wipe out an attack like that before.**_

"**I told you," **Loke sighed, standing back up again. **"I can easily defeat you. Now just let me go to the Princess."**

The dragon stubbornly shook his head. _**I cannot allow it. I can sense something isn't right with the Princess.**_

"**Then it'd be in my best effort to see her."**

_**Over my damn body! **_Igneel let out a growl before allowing his whole body to ignite into flame. At once, he flapped his wings and headed straight towards Loke. _**Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!**_

"**This is getting ridiculous," **Loke muttered. He stood his ground, waiting for the dragon to approach even closer before his fist began to be covered in a large mass of light. It then began to take on the shape of a large vertical elongated oval. **"Regulus Punch!" **He waited as Igneel's head was in just the right reach before punching the dragon upside the head. The blow landed swiftly, causing the dragon's attack to cancel and sent him flying backwards. Loke glared at the beast before him, glowering in annoyance before pushing up his glasses. Igneel wasn't moving and it looked like he had already made his win. **"I told you to just let me go."**

Looking around the boy spotted the entrance of the tower. Heading inside, he came across the nearby staircase that would led him up to the room of the princess he was looking for. A smile came to his face and began to make his way up only to stop in his tracks. Something wasn't. He could feel a heavy tension in the air and the humidity….it was as if it had gotten hotter.

_**Lightning Flame Dragon's Roar!**_

Before Loke could move, the large and destructive sparkling blast hit him full blow. A large amount of light lit up the area as it hit. Once the attack finished, the prince struggled back to his feet only to see Igneel flying towards him at a break necking speed and following him inside the tower. Loke gasped in astonishment. The dragon's wings were engulfed in flames, an attack Loke hadn't seen before. Taking on his stance from before, Loke held up his arm and called on an intense light to surround the area. This caused Igneel to stop in his tracks, blinding him for a few. Loke took this opportunity and began punching the dragon again. Igneel quickly recoiled, striking the man with a flaming claw. Loke flew back but caught himself as he landed, using his hand as support.

"**I've had enough of this!" **Loke snapped. He began taking his stance again as Igneel landed a few yards away. Light began gathering at the prince's palm and he suddenly rushed forward to punch the beast before him. **"Regulus Impact!"**

_**Lightning Flame Dragon's Brilliant Flame! **_Igneel growled, releasing a large crackling fireball from his mouth. It was a giant sparkling mixture of flame and lightning. As it collided with the prince's fist, the boy's attack became that of a lion's head. The forces created yet another explosion in their wakes. Igneel snorted in annoyance, panting from all his exertion. Taking on the lightning within him was power draining indeed. _**I never knew a human could have so much power.**_

"**Everyone isn't what you expect them to be," **Loke replied calmly.

_**I only know the feeling too well…**_

Loke blinked in confusion. What had the dragon come across before? **"Just let me take the princess away from so she'll be happy and I promise no harm will come to you."**

_**I cannot let that happen!**_

"**Then you're foolish!"**

The boy rushed forward yet again. He knew if he used the right attack he could finish this completely. However, the sight before him wasn't what he was expecting. Igneel was glowing with something he had never seen before but he could feel an eerie amount of power coming off of him. The dragon easily struck him away with a swipe of his claws, flying over to hold him down to the ground. The prince let out a gasp at how the dragon's speed had suddenly increased. He knew for sure the animal had been weaken on the verge of collapse. He struggled for a few as the dragon opened his mouth and a fireball began to form from it only to stop. Loke stared up in astonishment.

"**Why did you stop?" **Loke demanded.

_**The Princess wished for me to never kill, **_Igneel muttered._** As much as I want to dispose of you there is something about you that I do not understand about you and the Princess.**_

"**That's none of your concern."**

_**Well I do know you hold something within her! **_The dragon snorted, blowing a plume of smoke from his nostrils. The prince let out a cough but the dragon paid it no attention. _**Listen to me and listen to me well. I'll give you two offers and you can only choose between one. It is for the sake of the Princess.**_

Loke glowered up at the animal as it held him captive before quickly looking away in annoyance. It was no use for him to struggle against it completely knowing that the animal could easily kill him by applying just a little more of its weight onto its paws and crush him easily. Glancing back up at the beast, his eyes widen at the emotion he could see within the dragon's very own. The burning passion of what seemed to be pleading captured him; never had he thought he saw a look coming from a dragon appear so…..human. **"Very well, dragon," **Loke sighed.


	8. Promises

**(A/N) CeruShimRu here and I present to you the chapter many of you have been waiting for :D and I'm sorry it be short but the story is almost done here but not exactly ;) I'll give you more details on that later on. I'm just excited I got 2 chapters up in 1 day. Anyways, happy reading and remember to send in reviews because this keeps this story alive!**

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><p>The princess sat within her room; multiple emotions ran through her head as she constantly tried to connect her mind with Igneel's again. She couldn't dare herself to move from her bed and look outside towards the fight. Igneel's words to her still echoed within her head, the burdening truth hurting as much as it did the first time. At times she could hear the giant explosions that happened below but she did her best to cancel them out from her mind. Finally, there was silence.<p>

Lucy began to cling to Leon in fear. Why was it so quiet? Had something happened to Loke? Igneel? She had to know something! Suddenly the jiggling of the doorknob caught her attention. _Oh no…_The princess looked around her room wildly, thinking of place to hide only for the door to open wide to reveal Loke. Lucy's eyes grew wide at his battered appearance but a smile was still upon the man's face.

"**Loke," **she breathed. **"What are you doing here?"**

"**I've come to fulfill your father's wishes, Princess," **he replied taking a bow.

Lucy stared at Loke in shock, her arms holding on tightly to Leon. None of this could be happening. She was in denial; utter and complete denial. Loke wasn't a prince, at least the last time she checked he wasn't, so how could he have come to the tower now and challenge Igneel? _Igneel...Igneel! _The voiced echoed inside her head only to be answered in silence. Her arms clutched tighter around Leon. **"What have you done to him?"** she demanded.

Loke blinked in confusion, dropping his hand to his side. **"I don't believe I understand you Princess."**

"**I'm talking about Igneel! Where is he? He isn't answering me**." Suddenly realization hit her like a stone. The dragon wasn't answering her…if he was tired he would have already let her known. At once her eyes grew wide with fright as she stared at Loke. **"You…you didn't."**

"**What you mean that dragon?"** Loke questioned. **"My last attack got him rather well but I don't-"**

"**You killed him!"**

Before Loke could respond, Lucy pushed passed him. She heard him call her name after her, but she didn't care. She had to find Igneel. Racing down the stairs she began to call out for him mental, reaching with her mind for a sign of life; a sign of anything that would bring her hope. Slowing her pace, she began to take in her surroundings. She had never noticed just how big this area of the tower was. Igneel could easily fit in her which caught her by surprise. The tiny places where she could see scorch marks assured her the dragon had been in here during his battle with Loke. _But where are you now?_

Following down the path of the many marks, she began to follow the nose burning smell of sulfur and smoke. It was something that was unbearable but she was sure it had to lead her to Igneel. The dragon was able to use electricity after all. If anything the room would be hot and sweaty like the one she was in if the dragon was around because of his body heat**…. "Igneel!"** Lucy yelped as she spotted the dragon across the fray. He was lying on his side, his wings plastered to his side. She quickly made her way towards him, placing a hand on his scaly body. He was still warm which showed a sign of life, but his flanks were rising ever so slowly.

"**Igneel," she** whispered as she crossed over towards the dragon's face. She sat down; resting her hands now on his large snout and began to stroke it. The dragon was unresponsive.** "Igneel…you-you can't." **she stammered. The soft clatter of shoes caught her attention and she looked up, spotting Loke had followed her. She turned her gaze away from him. He wasn't important at this moment.

"**Princess…"** Loke whispered.

"**Shut up!"** she snapped, not looking away from the beast. She could feel tears brushing behind her eyes. She just had to hold them back a little bit longer. She knew he would come back. She was positive. A dragon couldn't die unless he fought a dragon slayer. _But he used his lightning power and it weakens him….Oh, Igneel! _She wrapped her arms around him, doing her best to hug him.

"**Princess…I think-"**

_No! _The next few words she had to choke out. **"Igneel, you cannot die! I wish for that! Do you hear me?"** Her vision suddenly became blurry from tears. Silently she rested her head on the dragon's nose, letting the sobs rake her body as she continued to hug him. _You can't leave me! You're my friend! My protector! You're-_

_**Why must you keep yelling….?**_

The princess froze. _Igneel? _She questioned, looking up.

_**Yes, weirdo, **_he responded. His eyes were still closed and his flanks were barely moving. Lucy could detect the weakness in his voice. _**I was to protect you until the rightful prince appeared. This one, he's a friend of yours and I cannot hurt someone who is a nakama to you. A true friend would be happy for your happiness and you love him.**_

_I never said that I-_

_**We're connected, remember? Isn't that what you wanted? To marry out of love, not force. Leave this place, as I shall instead die from my own happiness which would be brought from your own happiness. This boy promised not to slay me as long as he left with you.**_

Lucy looked up from the dragon, glancing back at Loke. **"Lucy, what the dragon speaks is true. Come with me, and I promise for sure I will not hurt him."**

"**You've hurt him enough already," **she muttered, hugging the dragon tighter.

"**Honestly Princess, a dragon cannot hold the emotions that a human contains."**

"**But you heard what he said! How can you say he cannot have emotions after all he said?" **She turned her attention away from Loke, staring at Igneel.** "I'd rather stay my life here than leave a dying nakama behind."**

"**Nakama?"**

"**Yes! It's something Igneel taught me…and I'm thankful for him teaching me that."**

"**Princess I did not kill this animal!" **Loke snapped. **"I made a promise to him that I would not hurt him anymore as long as I took you away from here so you could follow your heart."**He paused, before looking down at his feet. **"I didn't leave him at this state, that I promise you. It's just…you sound like you're in love with him. Please Lucy, the dragon already made his dying wish."**

"**But – "**

_**He speaks the truth, Princess, **_Igneel rumbled.

Lucy stared at Loke in surprise before turning her gaze back to Igneel whose eyes were beginning to close. She noticed the dying light from them. Tears began forming at her eyes again as she stared at her dying friend. She had to leave. That was the only way to make him happy. _Alright…I'll leave, _she whispered to him ever so softly. She couldn't bear to utter the words because she didn't want Loke to overhear them. She began to hug the dragon even tighter. _I love you, Igneel, and never forget that. _She felt a soft humming sound in her head and she knew the dragon was happy. She smiled.

Letting go of her hug, she got to her feet and wiped at her eyes. Loke placed a hand on her shoulder, ready to lead her away. Just as the two turned to go a bright light suddenly illuminate from Igneel. At once they turned back ground to stare in astonishment as the dragon glowed. Lucy stared on in puzzlement when she noticed something….his size; his shape….it was changing! Igneel began to grow smaller until he took on the size of a human. The two stared on in amazement as the glow began to die away, revealing the form of a teenage boy about their age with spiky pink hair.

**"What…just happened?"** Loke questioned.

Lucy broke free from his grasp, walking over towards the newly formed Igneel. She knelled beside him, placing his head in her lap. This boy was so….strange. He was dressed in foreign attire, but it reminded her of some of the clothing she had seen some of the princes in. He wore a white scarf around his neck. His tunic was of black and gold and his pants cream. The triangular shape of his eyes was mystifying, but not as much as the teeth he showed when he opened his mouth to yawn. That's what caught her attention the most. They were extremely pointy near the canines. The boy opened his coal colored eyes, blinking up at the girl. He grinned up at her widely.

"**Well it's nice to finally hear you say that, Princess,"** he replied.

"**Ig – Igneel?" **Lucy stammered. She had an eerie feeling that wasn't the correct name to be calling him. In response, the boy reached up with one of his hands and placed it on her cheek.

"**No, Natsu."**


	9. Conflicting Affections

**CeruShimRu15 here! ^_^ thank you all for the lovely reviews and I promise you, it's not over yet guys! We still have two chapters left of this story to go. Since a lot of you had always asked, "Where's Natsu?" you all get a little fluff within this chapter :3 and it's the longest out the story by far I do believe. Remember to review because I have a surprise for you all at the end ;) Also let me know if you notice any typos. I went through all the old chapters and fixed a lot of them.**

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><p>"<strong>Natsu…." <strong>Lucy repeated the name so she could embed it into her mind. She raised her hand up to her cheek and placed it over Natsu's hand. A smile came to her face. **"But why did you lie to me about your real name?"**

"**Because I didn't think the spell would be broken," **he confessed. Removing his hand from the princess's cheek, he sat up and began scratching at his head. He glanced over at Loke with an annoyed look in his eyes before folding his arms. **"What are you staring at?"**

"**Because you just turned from a dragon into a human," **Loke replied calmly. **"I think anyone would stare if something like that happened before them."**

A tiny growl escaped from Natsu only to be interrupted by Lucy.

"**But what spell are you talking about Natsu? And why did you choose Igneel as a name?"**

The boy scratched his head again in embarrassment before laughing. **"Well to be honest I don't really remember a lot of things before I got turned into a dragon," **he admitted. Suddenly he frowned and continued on in a more serious tone. **"But Igneel was my father. I didn't know what else to do because I wasn't sure if I could trust you so much. The lady that turned me into a dragon…I thought I could trust her because she claimed she would help me find him and she had once seen dragons, but she turned me into one instead." **He looked up and smiled. Taking hold of Lucy's hand he began spinning her around. **"And so here I am! So I thank you Princess for lifting the spell." **

"**Stop it!" **Lucy squealed as she continued to spin. At once the boy let go of her hands and spun for a few more seconds before tumbling onto the ground. Natsu let out a gasp while Loke quickly rushed over to her side.

"**Are you hurt Princess?" **Loke demanded. He noticed the tears that were brimming at her eyes and he quickly turned on Natsu. **"You idiot! How dare you hurt the Princess –"**He paused as Lucy grabbed hold of his arm and he quickly looked down.

"**I'm not crying from that," **she sighed, wiping at her face. **"I'm crying because I'm happy. I'm happy that I have two of my nakama in front me."**

Both of the boys glanced at each other before frowning. They held out their hands and helped the girl back to her feet despite their growing aggravation of each other.

"**I'm really sorry about that Princess," **Natsu apologized.

"**It's nothing to worry about Natsu."**

"**Well, there is **_**something **_**to worry about," **Loke pointed out. The two teens looked over towards the strawberry blonde boy whose arms were folded and eyes closed. He opened one to glance at Lucy as he continued. **"Something tells me you're not going to come with me so easily out of the tower now, aren't you?"**

"**Well, I –"**

"**We can have a rematch!" **Natsu interjected. Suddenly his fist broke out into flames which caught Lucy by surprise. **"I could fight you even better now that I'm smaller!"**

"**Something tells me you'd fight the exact same."**

"**Then I'd easily beat you!"**

"**Enough!" **Lucy snapped pushing herself between the two warring men. She let out a sigh. Something told her that none of this was going to end well. **"According to my father, the prince who defeated the dragon was the rightful person to have my hand in marriage."**

"**And this boy isn't a prince," **Loke sighed.

"**I never said I wasn't!"** Natsu growled. His hands were still engulfed in flames. **"I…just can't remember anything to say I was or wasn't one at all."**

The princess let out a sigh. This was getting them nowhere with all this arguing. **"Okay! I'm changing the rules. You two will have your rematch since Natsu doesn't have his full memory. Whoever wins will take me back to my father, does that seem fair?"**

Loke and Natsu exchanged a glance before nodding in agreement. The group settled on meeting 2 weeks from now. Lucy hoped by this the time the two boys would possibly forget about the entire situation but she knew it wouldn't happen. Sighing, she helped Loke out of the tower just to see him off. Going back inside the tower she found Natsu nowhere in sight. The princess scowled at this; where could he have gone?

Her first stop was the kitchen which was completely empty. Now that she thought about it she hadn't eaten at all today and decided to fix a few sandwiches for herself and Natsu. She remembered how he had liked them as a dragon. She smiled fondly at the memory. Placing them neatly on a serving dish, she gathered them up and began the smell trek up to her room. If she remembered hearing correctly from some of the few servants of the castle, food was the way to lure any man.

Once she entered her room she found this was where the boy had disappeared to. She was shocked at how he had found his way around the tower already when it had taken her the entire first month of being there. Natsu glanced up from his place on floor; he held Leon in his hands with an unpleasant frown on his face. It began to disappear when he noticed the tray of sandwiches in Lucy's hands. A soft smile came to the princess's face before she settled down on the floor across from him and placed the tray between them.

"**I thought you might be hungry after all that fighting," **Lucy began. She stopped, noticing Natsu sniffing at Leon. **"Natsu, **_**what **_**are you doing?"**

"**It smells like him," **Natsu muttered holding Leon away from his face.

"**It smells like him….? Oh! You must mean Leon smells a bit like Loke."**

"**Yeah I mean him! Why do you have this when it reeks of him?"**

Lucy rolled her eyes. **"Remember Thanksgiving Day?" **she questioned. The boy nodded his head in agreement. **"Well a few years ago Loke gave me him, Leon, as a gift. He said he would always protect me."**

"**A lion can't protect you like a dragon," **Natsu said, standing up smirking as his hands became engulfed in flames. He heard the princess let out a gasp of alarm and quickly extinguished his fire. **"What's wrong Princess?"**

"**I…uh…" **she stammered for the correct choice of words.

"**Are you just being a weirdo again?"**

"**I am not a weirdo! I just don't understand why you're able to light your hands on fire."**

"**Oh!" **Natsu exclaimed giving her a huge goofy grin. **"That's easy. I'm a dragon slayer so I can light just about any part of my body on fire. Wanna see?"**

"**I rather not….can we just eat in peace?"**

Natsu slid back to the ground, folding his arms. **"That's no fun." **

Taking hold of a sandwich, he began to eat. The princess watched him finish it before she took one for herself. The two sat in silence for a moment, savoring over their taste of the sandwiches. It didn't take long for Lucy to have her fill from just two and left the rest for Natsu to devour. As she watched, she finally developed the courage to ask the question that had been bugging her.

"**Natsu," **she started. **"Can you really not remember anything about you before becoming a dragon?"**

The boy looked up at the sound of his name with a full mouth before swallowing the rest of his snack. He began scratching the back of his head in thought. **"Hmm….not really."** He grabbed another sandwich.

"**Nothing at all?"**

"**Nope."**

"**But doesn't it bother you?"** she pressed.

This got Natsu's attention. **"I guess it bothers me a tad…" **he said as he finished his fourth sandwich. **"The only thing I can remember is Igneel's name, him being my dad, and me searching for him. Then there's that evil lady who turned me into a dragon and of course that Loke guy had a scent on him I recognized."**

"**A scent?"**

"**Yeah. I'm not sure why it's so familiar though." **Natsu scratched at his head again before falling onto his back in frustration. **"I hate this! I can't remember anything about my life."**

"**Perhaps you were a prince?" **Lucy suggested leaning over him. Her expression dropped as Natsu quickly shook his head to dismiss that idea. She sighed and lay down beside the dragon slayer. Well there was _something _about his clothing that all the princes that had showed up seemed to have in common. She decided to turn the topic into something happier.** "Why don't you tell me about Igneel? I'm sure you remember a little about him."**

At this a smile came to the boy's face. **"I did tell you he was my father," **Natsu said glancing over towards the princess. She nodded encouragingly. He thought for a moment before the words tumbled out of his mouth. **"Well, Igneel taught me everything I knew about everything from food, to reading, cultures, and magic. He made me into the dragon slayer I am today." **A content sigh escaped him. **"But he disappeared one day."**

"**That's so sad…"**

"**Yeah…but he was one of the best dragon parents any dragon slayer could ask for."**

The princess stared at the dragon slayer for a moment in utter shock. **"Natsu…did you just say your father was a dragon?"**

"**Yup!" **Natsu replied, rolling over to grin at her. **"How do you think I knew so much about dragons?"**

Lucy stared at him dumbfounded before getting to her feet. **"I think I'm going to go take a bath," **she announced before hurrying towards the bathroom. She heard Natsu call after as she closed the door in a rush. She placed her back against the door, holding her head from what all had happened today. This was getting out of hand! _This cannot be happening, she_ thought. _First he turned from a dragon into a man. Now he says his father is a dragon. What has this world come to?! _She sat there in silence until she noticed her thoughts were answered in silence. Did she finally have her mind back to herself? A feeling of excitement rushed through her only to be quickly filled with a twinge of loneliness. She had gotten used to Natsu pushing his way into everything he heard her think. It was going to take her sometime to get used to not having a second voice within her head. Sighing, she grabbed her towel and began to run her water.

She began to run over a list of things that would need to be done now that Natsu was a dragon. For starters she would have to find a room for him to stay in. Her room had been her only sense of privacy when the dragon slayer had always been in her head and she wasn't giving that up now. Perhaps there was another bedroom lying around in the tower. Next she would tend to his wounds. She had noticed them while they had both been lying on the ground together talking and he hadn't brought any attention to them at all. She was sure there was a first aid kit lying around. Finally they would have to find him more sets of clothes. He couldn't live in that one outfit forever. Bringing her attention back to her bath she turned the water off. Yes, she would do all of this just to make sure Natsu would feel at home. _But why do I care if he feels at home? _The princess blinked in confusion at her thoughts before submerging herself within the water.

The sight Lucy found once she entered her room caught her completely off guard. She hadn't expected to find Natsu in her bed….completely. The boy had managed to become quite comfortable underneath her pink sheets and was busily snoring away. The princess sweat dropped at this. What was she going to do now with the mage in her bed? This was going against everything she had planned. Muttering to herself she walked over to her bed, sitting on its edge before rocking the boy gently on his shoulder.

"**Natsu…" **she whispered.

"**Nhh..?" **Natsu muttered as he opened one of his eyes to stare at the woman. A yawn escaped him. **"Did I do something?"**

"**You're asleep in my bed. Of course you did something."**

Natsu slid over slightly before propping himself up on his elbow. In response, Lucy grabbed one of the many pillows on her bed and threw it at the boy's face. It landed with a loud thud, before bouncing off onto the ground. The mage shook his head to clear it from the shock.

"**What was that for?!" **he demanded. **"I moved over to give you room!"**

"**That's not what I meant! I want my bed for myself!"**

"**For…yourself? But where am I supposed to sleep?"**

"**On the floor I suppose…or perhaps there's another room within the tower."**

"**But….I'm tired!" **the dragon slayer's voice grew to a whine. He noticed how agitated the princess was becoming. **"Plus…we slept together before."**

The princess's eyes grew wide in shock. **"We did no such thing!"**

Natsu narrowed his eyes at the princess. **"Don't tell me you're losing **_**your**_** memory too. Don't you remember the night under the stars?"**

"**T-that was different," **Lucy stammered. There was a slight blush to her checks as she recalled the memory. Sure, it had been harmless and it hadn't bothered her since she had slept outside with a dragon, but now that she knew he was a human, it completely disturbed her to no end. She noticed that Natsu was still staring at her with a confused look in his eyes before she finally let out a sigh, realizing there was no way around this. She was tired and this had been a very long day and she would have to just live with this. It was just for one night after all, right? Sitting down beside the dragon slayer, she turned to look at him over her shoulder. **"Just don't get any ideas, okay?"**

"**Okay…" **Natsu replied, blinking in confusion as the princess began to lie down in front of him. Grinning, he took hold of the covers as she pulled them up before wrapping his arms around the princess's waist, pressing his nose into her hair. **"You know, your hair smells like food."**

"**I-it's shampoo." **The princess pried his hands off of her. She glared back at him only to see him giving her a feeble smile. Sighing, she pulled the covers further up towards her shoulders to help her block out his existence. She could already feel this was going to be a long and unsettling night.

"**Good night, Princess!"**

Lucy sighed. **"Good night, Natsu…."**

* * *

><p>"<strong>Oh Princess."<strong>

Lucy pulled the sheet over head at the sound of her title. She wanted to sleep just a bit longer, was that just too much to ask? She was still trying to recover after the shock from yesterday with Loke and Natsu…._Natsu!_The girl quickly sat up, or really attempted as she felt a pair of arms wrapped tightly around her waist. At once, she sweat dropped at the sigh as she hadn't expected his arms to be there after she had told him to stop the previous night. However, the boy was still asleep which didn't make sense to the voice she had heard calling her name. Flinching with apprehensive, she slowly turned her head to find the pink hair of Virgo.

"**Virgo!" **Lucy shouted in alarm.

This was loud enough to awaken Natsu, who finally loosen his grip upon the princess. Sitting up, the mage rubbed at his eyes before letting out a yawn. **"Morning Princess," **he grinned. His gaze fell upon Virgo and he tilted his head in confusion. **"What's the pink haired lady doing here?" **He scratched his head at this. **"What was her name again? Victor? Virginia?"**

"**It's Virgo, Natsu…"**

"**I'm sorry for interrupting something important, Princess," **Virgo stated, bowing her head. **"I was just following your father's order in my check in and became worried when the dragon wasn't to be found, so Taurus is now guarding the place. Do you wish me to leave you and your Prince and tell your father of your upcoming return?"**

"**Prince?!" **Lucy yelped. She quickly stood up from her bed and pointed wildly at Natsu. **"He is no such thing! Virgo, Natsu is the dragon!...well, **_**was **_**the dragon! You were interrupting **_**nothing!**_**"**

"**I'm sorry for my misunderstanding, Princess. You can punish me as you wish."**

"**Absolutely not!"**

"**Well I say you interrupted my sleep," **Natsu yawned, interrupting the two as he crawled out of bed. **"Princess, you have a very loud voice."**

"**I do not!"**

Natsu quickly covered his ears. **"See…? Loud."**

Lucy began to fume as she stared at the boy before turning away with a huff. He hadn't seemed so annoying as a dragon, so why was he bugging her now? _Maybe because I didn't have to be stuck with him all the time…_she thought to herself. Turning her attention back to Virgo, she sighed. **"I'm sorry about all of that," **she apologized.

"**No need," **Virgo replied. **"Is there anything you wish for me to get you, Princess?"**

"**Actually…." **The princess's gaze traveled back over towards Natsu who was staring at the pair with curiosity. **"Could you find a first aid kit so I could tend to Natsu's wounds? Also, maybe you could find another room within the tower he could use."**

"**I'll see what I can do. As for first aid, Princess, there is one below with Taurus in the carriage. I will tell him to bring it up."**

"**Why can't we just go and get it instead?" **Natsu chimed in.

"**Natsu…"**

"**Come on, Princess. I wanna just stretch my legs. I have to get used to being in this body again if I have to fight that friend of yours."**

Lucy stared at the pink haired boy for a moment before finally sighing and agreed. Virgo bowed to announce her departure and left the two alone. The princess ordered the boy to go get cleaned up in the bathroom while she change, adding in to not come out until she let him. While Natsu locked himself in the restroom, Lucy decided on wearing yet another one of her spring dresses, this one being a blue and white dress with an extraordinary design. She was just finishing pinning up her hair when she heard a knock from the opposite side of the bathroom door. The sweat dropped at the sound as she had completely forgotten about the boy.

"**Come in!" **she called, not turning away from the mirror. She could see his reflection through the mirror as he came inside the room, his back leaning against the door. Now that he was cleaner, Lucy could see his wounds a lot more easily now. Why hadn't she attended to them last night? For all she knew, they could have been affected this very moment. Wrapping her hair in the ribbon, she turned back to Natsu and led the way out of the tower.

Once they reached outside, the princess spotted the knight standing guard around the carriage. It didn't take long for him to notice the approach of Lucy with Natsu and hearts quickly settled within the bull's gaze.

"**Princess!" **he beamed at the blonde. He pulled her into a giant hug much to the girl's protest as she tried to push him away. **"I've missed you so much! You're body is looking extremely well in that dress of yours today!" **He paused, noticing Natsu's presences. **"Who is he?"**

"**This is Natsu, Taurus," **Lucy replied, struggling to break free again. **"He's….**_**currently **_**protecting me."**

At this, Taurus lowered her to the ground. **"But I protect you, Princess! Don't I do a good job?"**

_Not with you always on my body…_"**Of course! It's just when you're away, I need someone else to do the job. You all want me to return to the castle safely, right?"**

"**So true, Princess! You're mind is wonderful! Just like that body of yours!"**

Lucy glanced over towards Natsu for help only to find him busily stretching away. Seeing as she would have no help from him, she let out a sigh. **"Taurus, my reason for being out here is I'm in search of a first aid kit and Virgo says there's one around here."**

"**I think it's somewhere in the back."**

Before she could reply, Natsu leaped onto the back of the carriage and wiggled his way inside. In a matter of seconds he reappeared with a white box with a painted red x on the side and a huge grin on his face. He waved it in the air to gain the princess's attention. **"Is this it?" **he questioned.

"**Perfect!" **Lucy exclaimed. **"We can go fix you up in my room."**

"**But I don't wanna go yet!" **Natsu leaped down from the carriage, grinning playful at the girl. **"I'll go in….if you….can catch me first."**

"**Natsu! This isn't a game. It's about your health."**

"**I can't hear you!"**

With this, the dragon slayer took off at full speed around the tower. Lucy stared after him in disbelief before letting out a yell towards the sky in annoyance. She called after him as she began to chase him. How was she expected to catch him in this dress? As she got to the other side of the tower, he was nowhere to be found. **"Natsu!" **Lucy growled, looking around wildly for the boy. How could he have so much energy? **"Where are you?!"**

A snicker came from above. In response, the princess looked up, realizing she was underneath the balcony. Natsu gazed down at her with a huge grin plastered on his face before leaping down in front of her. In response, the princess stamped her rage at the boy's antics. They didn't have any time for this! She grabbed the first aid kit out of his hand, catching him off guard. Natsu's eyes grew wide in shock.

"**Hey!" **he exclaimed. **"That isn't fair!"**

"**What isn't fair is that you're having me chase you when I'm supposed to be working on your wounds."**

Natsu folded his arms in annoyance before letting out a grunt. Muttering to himself, he followed after the princess. Lucy called a goodbye to Taurus as they headed up the stairs back towards her room. There was no sign of Virgo yet which didn't seem so pleasing to Lucy. Sighing, she opened the door to her room and ordered Natsu to sit on her bed while she got out the needed supplies. She wasn't sure how long this was going to take but she knew he had taken a lot of damage during his fight with Loke. When he was a dragon he had always been able to do most of his healing in the lava pit, but that wouldn't be any use now that he was a human.

She made her way back over towards Natsu, bandages in hand, and began wrapping some around his hands. She had noticed how his palms had been cut across the middle. She was amazed at how Natsu had made any complaints about any of his wounds. _He's a mage, Lucy. He's probably had worse wounds then this. _She continued her work in silence as Natsu stared on quietly. Eventually she had both of his hands wrapped, part of his leg, and some wrapped completely around his head. As she had worked, she even sprayed and cleaned out any minor wounds she came across. Sitting back, a sigh escaped her as she rubbed at her arms.

"**Am I all done?" **she questioned. She was going through this all from memory of all the wounds she had seen.

The dragon slayer gazed at her for a moment, moving all his areas that were wrapped in bandages for a moment. **"Nah, you missed a spot," **he replied. When the princess blinked in confusion, he moved his hand in a flash and quickly flicked her on the nose. A laugh escaped him while the princess began yelling at as she covered her nose.

"**Natsu! What was that for?!"**

"**We gotta have some fun in this, Princess."**

"**Healing you is not fun. It's work!"**

"**Then make time for fun."**

At this, the princess abruptly turned away. The grin from Natsu's face faded only to be replaced by another playful smirk. **"Oh Princess!" **he called. His grabbed a pair of loose bandages and hid them behind his back.

"**I'm not playing with you, Natsu."**

"**Okay, okay, but I know some place where you missed." **He smiled sheepishly as she turned to face him.

"…**where?"**

"**That head of yours. Let me try and fix it." **Natsu reached for head with the collection of bandages only for Lucy to put her hands up in protest. She began trying to push him away, her hands grabbing onto his wrist to hold him back. It was all fun and games for Natsu, but he knew he was a lot stronger than her. Grinning, he over took the girl and pressed her back against the bed and loomed over her. He gazed at her triumphantly. **"I win!"**

"**This wasn't a game," **Lucy pouted, gazing up at him. Suddenly, she realized her placement between him and her bed and a blush came to her face. **"Now let me go!"**

"**Only if you let me fix your head…"**

"**NATSU!"**

The princess began struggling beneath him causing him to laugh. Finally, Natsu dropped the bandages on top of the girl's head and loosen his grip on her. This allowed Lucy just enough time to move her hands and remove the bandages from her face. She glared at him with annoyance. She didn't understand how he could even view any of this funny! Suddenly, Natsu took notice of the look on her face and stopped his laughter. His eyes lowered and Natsu slid off of the princess, allowing Lucy to sit up. A sigh of relief came from the princess as she sat up. She had begun to worry what was going to happen while she was in that stance. Glancing at Natsu she noted something seemed completely different about him as if he had just become distant to her.

"**Natsu?" **she asked; her voice full of concern.** "Are you okay?"**

He glanced up at her from his position. **"Do you hate me, Princess?"**

"**Hate you?! Why would you think of something like that?"**

"**Because, you treat me differently than how I was as a dragon!"**

Lucy held her breath. She hadn't realized she was coming off that easily to Natsu. It was true, she felt a little awkward being around him now that he was human, but she could never bring herself to hate him completely. Her gaze lowered as she placed her hands in her lap before shaking her head. **"I could never hate you Natsu," **she replied.

"**So why are you so….different?"**

"**I guess because it was a lot easier talking to you as****a dragon." **She rubbed at her arm in embarrassment. **"I couldn't always see your face and you knew most of my thoughts so I couldn't feel judge by you, however…." **She raised her head, looking into the boy's onyx eyes. **"Perhaps my trust in you is a bit challenged now that I know you practically lied to me."**

"**But I told you my reason!" **Natsu objected. **"And I didn't lie to you about **_**everything!**_**"**

The princess held up her hand to stop the boy from continuing his protest. **"And your reason was a good one," **Lucy agreed. **"But, I just might need some time to get used to you being human…"**Glancing away, she got up from the bed. **"I guess you could call me strange..."**

Natsu chuckled at this. **"I always called you a weirdo for a reason."**

A blushed stretched across the blonde's face. **"I am not a weirdo! Just be glad you're not a giant lizard." **She quickly turned away, folding her arms to hide the redness in her face.

**"Dragon's aren't lizards!"**

Lucy began to giggle at this. He really was the real Igneel, even if he was now a human. Natsu watched her with curious boy was completely lost about what had just happened and was still agitated over the fact she had called dragons lizards again. Suddenly, Lucy turned to face him; the blush completely gone from her face and a smile had taken its place. The dragon slayer blinked in confusion as she held out her arms.

**"We're still nakama, right?"** she inquired.

Natsu's eyes stretched wide in astonishment before softening. He returned her smile with a grin of his own. **"Of course!" **Standing up, the boy took her into her arms and embraced her as she had offered. However, it didn't take long for pain to seize him as she held onto his waist and he winced. In response, Lucy slacked her hold, looking up at him with an accusing glare. The dragon slayer chuckled in embarrassment. **"Perhaps I did forget about one wound."**

* * *

><p>Unfortunately, Virgo hadn't been able to find another bedroom within the tower. She had offered to fetch multiple bedroom supplies from the castle, but Lucy quickly dismissed the idea. If she was going to work to get to know the real Natsu, she rather have him nearby and now many floors or doors down. The princess saw her two servants off, promising she would return soon. She knew without a doubt the words were true.<p>

Natsu had managed to fall asleep in her bed, yet again by the time their day had finished. She had decided to leave the mage to his sleep while she bathed. A nice relaxing bath helped her clear her mind and she knew it would even help her sleep as well. Once she was done, she entered her bedroom in her nightgown only to find Natsu standing over at her desk with a few papers in her hands. She quickly dashed over, grabbing the few papers out of his hands, collecting the rest off of the desk and held them protectively against her chest.

"**Did I do something wrong?" **Natsu inquired baffled by the princess's act.

"**I thought you were asleep!" **she challenged, ignoring the question completely.

"**I was." **He stretched his arms. **"But I got hungry so I went and found some of the left over sandwiches. Then…I came across these -" **He pointed towards the papers at Lucy's chest only for her to pull away. He snorted in annoyance. **"What was that for?"**

"**You went through my stuff!"**

"**Princess, it was out in the open."**

"**That doesn't mean go through it!"**

Natsu groaned before scratching at his head, searching for a way to explain his actions. Lucy had turned back to putting the papers in order, stacking them up neatly on her desk. He knew she was going to ignore him completely if he never came clean. Sighing in defeat, he continued. **"Okay, I was wrong," **he muttered, folding his arms. **"But! You know I feel the same way…..about Igneel, you know?" **He noticed the princess pausing. **"Remember?"**

"**Of course I do," **she sighed, clutching the papers tighter to her chest. **"It's just…writing to my mother makes me feel happier. It lets me know that I'm not alone."**

"**But you're not. I'm your nakama so you always have me."**

He pointed at himself before grinning widely. Lucy smiled back at him softly before finishing the last bit of papers. She walked passed him, glancing over shoulder. **"I'm going to bed," **she announced. **"Just don't read my letters again, okay?"**

The dragon slayer followed after her, waiting silently as she crawled into bed before slipping in after her. **"I won't, Princess," **he promised. **"Just promise me you won't think you're alone?"**

"**Promise you?"**

"**Settle a promise with a promise." **The boy snuggled closer to her, wrapping his arms around her protectively.

Lucy rolled her eyes. She would be happy when he learned to stop doing this every night. **"Whatever you say, Natsu, I promise. Now, good night." **She closed her eyes, preparing herself for sleep to overtake her when she suddenly heard a strange rumble coming from behind her. Lucy raised an eyebrow in confusion. **"Natsu…are you purring?"**

"**What?"**

"_**Purring. **_**It's that sound that's coming from your throat."**

The boy was silent for a moment before answering. **"I thought it was more of a hum," **he defended. **"And I thought you were asleep."**

"**No one falls asleep that fast."**

"**Sorry…"**

A tiny giggle escaped the princess. **"Was it something Igneel taught you?"**

"**He always did it when he was happy and it helped me go to sleep. I just remembered it actually."**

_So his memories are coming back...that's a good sign. _**"I'm glad to hear that," **she replied with a smile. **"As long as you're happy and it keeps you happy then I say continue it, but officially this time, good night Natsu." **

She closed her eyes as she heard the boy utter the words back and began humming again. The sound was somewhat hypnotic and she could feel herself slipping into sleep. Perhaps she could get used to having him around as a human. She believed she was already beginning to adapt to him. _But…what if he's not around forever? _Lucy glanced over her shoulder, noticing Natsu drifting into sleep as his humming began to fade. The only way that would happen was if he lost the fight against Loke, but she didn't believe she could marry him. Really, she didn't believe she could marry either men. Of course, Natsu did know her wishes so perhaps he would leave her alone if he did win. Sighing, she turned back around to face the rest of her room.

"**Why do I feel so confused on this?" **she whispered.


	10. A Heart of Magic

Lucy could hardly believe the two weeks had already come and gone so quickly, as she stared out from the balcony. Worse of all, she wasn't sure why this time she had chosen to watch Natsu and Loke battled it out against each other. The princess was just sure about an uneasy feeling within her heart. It bothered her greatly as she gazed at the two boys below her. Sighing, she rested her head against the railing. _Just be safe…._

**"So you still want to go through with this?"**

Natsu smirked back at Loke before stretching. **"Of course!" **he called. **"I'm all fired up and there's no way I could lose to you."**

A chuckle escaped from Loke. He glanced up to where the blonde gazed down at them both before turning his attention back towards his opponent. **"Well then," **he began. **"How about you go first?"**

A small chuckle of excitement escaped Natsu before he suddenly leaped back. **"I like the sound of that!" **he called. He took in a deep breath of air, his cheeks filling up to an enormous size. **"Fire Dragon's Roar!" **Opening his mouth, he released a large stream of fire from his mouth heading straight towards his opponent.

In response, Loke began taking on the stance he had done in their previous battle. Bending his right arm, he grabbed its bicep with his left hand before throwing his clenched right fist into the air. Timing the attack, he began to spin his arms in a circular motion as a large mass of light began to form from them. **"Regulus Blast!" **he yelled as the beam of light shot forward to collide with the dragon slayer's fire. The two attacks made a large explosion upon impact, sending them both back a few yards. Loke stood up straighter once the smoke cleared. **"Remember Natsu, I have attacks that can counter your every move."**

** "So what?!" **Natsu demanded, unfazed by the blast. He wasn't going to give up in this fight this easily or early. He quickly ignited his feet into flames and began to propel himself towards Loke. **"I'll just use every move I got!"**

** "Lion Brilliance!"**

Loke took on his famous stance yet again, letting out a large amount of light from his body that began to take over a wide radius. This caught Natsu off guard, stopping him in flight and the boy began to cover his eyes to shield himself from the bright light. Loke quickly took his chance of the opportunity and dashed forward, stopping just in front of Natsu before landing a punch to the boy's face. Natsu quickly shook his head, stunned from the mass amount of light and from the hit. Growling, the boy's hands broke out into flames.

**"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" **he snapped, and began swinging to and fro at his opponent. Loke began to dodge the attack furiously only for one to finally hit him across the jaw. Natsu smirked only for the smile to wipe from his face as Loke began to punch back at the same force, his hands covered in a giant sum of light. Natsu remembered the attack from their last fight and began using an increase speed in his punches. **"Fire Dragon's Fist!" **His punches landed swiftly only to be blocked and countered by Loke's own with immense speed.

Meanwhile, the princess stared down at the sight below as she was just beginning to recover from Loke's giant light beam. **"Those two are so strong," **she murmured as she rubbed at her agitated eyes. Opening them back up, she watched in uneasiness as the two continued to punch at each other furiously, only to sigh. **"And evenly matched…." **Suddenly, a large yell caught her attention. Looking up she saw Natsu leaping into the air once again as fire began to develop on both of his eyes. Her eyes widen in alarm.

**"With a flame on the right hand," **Natsu shouted into the air as hands became engulfed in flames as he chanted. **"And a flame on the left hand; when you combine the flame together; Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!"**He then joined both of his hands together as he finished the incantation, creating a larger flame. The dragon slayer then hurled the fireball at his opponent.

Loke quickly took his familiar stance, calling on light to develop on his right hand before releasing a bright light from him hand. **"Regulus Beam!" **The two attacks hit with tremendous power, Natsu's fire causing a rather large explosion. Once this one cleared, both boys stood, panting as they continued to stare each other down. **"This is getting old…"**

Natsu wiped at his face, scowling. He glanced up at the princess who looked on in fear before uttering his next set of words. **"Let's hurry this up then!" **he growled. At this, the boy became engulf in a frenzy of flames only for sparks of lightning to surround him as well. His keen sense of hearing caught the gasp that escaped the princess. He could only guess she was remembering his fight with Laxus when he had first learned how to call on this mode. Glaring back at Loke, the boy began to prepare himself for the attack, fire seeping from his mouth. **"Lightning Flame Dragon's Roar!" **Releasing the spell, a large sparking blast shot forward, creating an immense amount of light.

**"I remember this," **Loke muttered. Taking his stance, he opened his right palm and began gathering as much light as he could. Finally he closed it tightly into a fist and it collided with the flame. At this, his punch took on the shape of a large lion's head. The lion opened up its mouth, releasing light to strike even harder at Natsu's attack.

Lucy could only watch in fear as the two attacks created yet another explosion below her. This time the aftermath traveled up towards her, a gust picking up as it blew at her skirt and other things through the wind. Once it cleared she could see just how tired Natsu really was after his last move, determined not to back down. Loke glared back at the boy, rooted to his spot in challenge and anticipation of the boy's next move. The princess wasn't sure if she could bear watching this any longer. _This is what Natsu meant before, _she thought to herself, feeling tears welling up in her eyes as Natsu began to tremble on his feet. _How can I watch two nakama fight to the end? _Silently, Natsu ignited his fist into another flame while the other became surrounded in lightning. Loke raised an eyebrow in confusion.

**"You still wish to fight?" **he questioned, taking note of the dragon slayer's weakness. **"You barely have enough energy to keep moving."**

** "I'm not letting you take the princess away," **he snarled only to flinch; he could feel his old wounds acting up. **"She once told me she wanted to find love on her own. You taking her away from here won't help her at all. I want the princess to have happiness. As long as my nakama is happy, then I will be happy, but what you're doing won't make either of us happy!" **As his anger took over, his fire and lightning began to become even larger. **"I'll fight you till **_**death**_** if I have to!"**

** "Then death it will be."**

Natsu prepared himself to charge forward at his opponent only to feel something link its way across his waist. Stopping, he peered down to see the blonde hair of the girl both of them had been fighting over. She began to bury her head against his back, doing her best to stifle her small cries.** "Please don't kill him," **she quietly wept, pressing herself closer to him. **"I can't bear to watch someone else die."**

**"Princess…" **the dragon slayer murmured, extinguishing his hands and dropping them at his sides. **"I wasn't - "**

** "Why do you have to be so careless?! If you continue fighting, you **_**will **_**be dead. You can't handle using all of that lightning power and you know it! I can't lose you too, Natsu."**

The boy glanced over at Loke before letting out a sigh and began to rub at the back of his head. The princess loosened her grip, glancing up at him only for Natsu to turn around and face her. Smiling softly, he took her into his arms. **"I made you sad again, didn't I?" **he whispered. **"I can't seem to ever make you happy."**

** "That's not true," **she replied, tightening her grip on him. **"We've had some good times where you've made me laugh and cry tears of joy. I just **_**can't **_**lose a nakama to death, Natsu."**

Natsu gazed down at her in confusion. He hadn't expected the princess to become so irrational by watching this entire fight. _But I didn't want her to see before, _he thought to himself. _Why hadn't I expected this? _Hugging her tighter, he murmured an apology only to look up at the simple applause coming from behind. Turning his head with an annoyed look on his face, he gazed at Loke with a mixture of emotions.

**"I guess you win this fight," **Loke announced.

**"What?!" **the pink haired mage gasped. **"We didn't even finish it!"**

** "I can't take the princess away from something she loves even more than me. You'll present her to her father."**

** "I'll do what now…?"**

** "We're going home, Natsu," **Lucy replied causing him to look back down at her. **"You won my happiness."**

A large smile came to Natsu's face. **"I guess I did!"**

* * *

><p>Lucy stood in the doorway, staring at the room she had called her own for the past few months. She could hardly believe her time here was already over. A tiny sigh escaped her as she leaned against the door in comfort, Leon held tightly in her arms. Leo had kept true to his words, sending Virgo and Taurus to fetch her and Natsu within a small amount of days. She was finally going home! It would feel great to step back inside the castle again; however, she was feeling completely unsure of the outcome once she returned home. Her father had thrown her away once after all, how could she be sure he wouldn't do it again?<p>

**"They're waiting for us Princess."**

Lucy turned around in astonishment. **"Natsu, you scared me."**

** "Sorry," **he replied cheekily before holding out his hand. A part of him was eager to head back to the castle as well, but something was also bugging him. He just wasn't sure how to tell the Princess. **"Come on, I'm sure your father is dying to see you."**

** "But….won't you miss this place?" **she questioned as they descended the stairs one final time. She glanced over her shoulder back towards the doorway she would never enter again. Natsu glanced back at her in confusion. **"I mean, we had a lot of memories here, in this tower." **They had now reached outside and she began staring at it longingly.

**"Nah," **Natsu finally replied, shoeing away the idea. **"This tower might have let me find you but it also made me lose all my memories."**

** "But it'll allow you to create new ones."**

** "Ready to go, Princess?" **Virgo interrupted the two as Taurus mounted the front part of the carriage to take hold of the reins.

She opened the door, extending her hands. The girl glanced at Natsu before nodding and stepping inside with the help of Virgo. Natsu followed in after her, sitting across from the blonde. Taurus let out a loud moo before they headed off. The ride back towards the kingdom was a silent one. Lucy couldn't help staring at her hands while occasionally glancing up at the dragon slayer who was too busily staring out the window. Her eyes traveled back to his burned hands she had bandaged not too long ago. She began to wonder were they bothering him. Had she bandaged them wrong? Was that why he was completely ignoring her? Suddenly she heard an illogical mutter and her eyes flew open at the sight of Natsu halfway hanging out of the window.

"**Natsu!" **she yelped, grabbing hold of him and pulling him back into the cart. As she did this, the carriage hit a bump and sent the two flying back to one side. Rubbing her head, she heard Natsu mumble incoherently. She quickly began to shake him to try and gain the boy's attention when the carriage began to come to a stop. A part of her began to fear something was happening outside when she heard the voice of Virgo calling her name.

"**Is everything okay back there Princess?"**

"**It's Natsu!" **she yelled. **"I think he's sick or something."**

"**M-make it stop," **he stammered in her lap.

The princess took his head in her hands, searching his eyes. _What's wrong with you? _she asked herself frantically. Suddenly the boy's eyes began to clear and he stared up at her in exhaustion. A sigh of relief escaped her. **"He's alright, Virgo!" **she called in order to stop the maid from checking on them. Turning her eyes back to Natsu, a tiny frown came to her face. **"Are you alright?"**

"**As long as the carriage has stopped, then yes," **he mumbled.

_So the carriage made him sick? _Lucy blinked in confusion. **"Natsu, you wouldn't happen to have motion sickness, would you?"**

"**Motion sickness? What's -"**

Before he could finish his words, the carriage lurched off again and he quickly began gagging in her lap again as if he was going to barf. The princess slide away from him, leaving him to lie on the seat as they continued to move. Well, she was sure there was no way to deny it now but he really did have motion sickness. She just hoped he would recover by the time they reached the kingdom. Sighing, Lucy pulled out her magic book and began reading up on dragon slayer's again. Ever since she had learned what Natsu was, she kept doing her best to learn even more about them, abandoning some of her old studies of different types of magic related to the stars.

Time passed quicker this way and in no time at all Lucy found herself within the kingdom's village again. Placing the book down, she peered out of the window at the many town's folk only to smile. They were so happy to see her that she couldn't help but grin back at them. Occasionally she would wave back to them all. This made her feel at ease. Perhaps her father would truly welcome her back home now. After all, he had allowed Virgo and Taurus to bring her home. It wasn't before long they were just outside the palace and entered through its gates. The carriage came to a stop; the princess sat up, waiting patiently as Virgo opened the door only for the maid's eyes to focus on the passed out Natsu.

"**Is he alright?" **she questioned.

"**He just need a few minutes to breathe," **Lucy replied, smiling. As if she was right on cue, Natsu's eyes began to focus on his surroundings again and his gaze fell on her as she began to exit the carriage. He soon slid out after her. **"It's good to see you've recovered."**

Natsu rubbed his head. **"I guess so," **he agreed as he followed after her into the castle. Eyes became huge as he entered the atrium, the ceilings high above his head. Every few yards down the hall seemed to hang a different photo. Beneath his feet seemed to be a strange endless burgundy and golden decorated carpet. His mouth hung open agape. **"This is where you lived?"**

"**It looks better than what it really is."**

"**I will go and tell your father of your arrival," **Virgo stated, bowing once before disappearing and left the two alone.

"**This is some strange place," **the dragon slayer muttered. **"I thought the tower had confusing hallways."**

"**I know these rather well," **Lucy replied smiling. She suddenly looked up at the sound of footsteps, seeing the appearance of the familiar strawberry blonde in glasses. **"Loke!" **The princess raced towards him, grabbing him into a hug. She heard the mage growl in annoyance but quickly ignored it. **"What are you doing here?"**

"**I just wanted to make sure everything goes well," **he replied, dropping their embrace. He shoved his hands into his pockets, glancing up at the pink haired boy. **"I see you haven't changed.**

"**Like hell I would," **Natsu snapped.

"**Boys!" **Lucy warned them both. She didn't need them both breaking out into a fight within her father's chambers. He already had a huge dislike towards magic. She could only image how he would react seeing the walls and floors burned. The two continued to glare at each other silently, but listened to the girl's orders.

"**Princess," **Virgo announced. **"Your father will see, both of you."**

A tiny smile came to Lucy's face before she grabbed hold of Natsu's arms. The boy hesitated before allowing her to pull him down a few hallways until he began to retaliate. Lucy took note of his struggles and came to a stop in the middle of the corridor. She placed her hands on her hips, gazing at him in confusion. **"What's your problem?" **she demanded. She thought they had both agreed earlier to go and face her father together. Now he was acting as if he was going to leave her to fend for herself. **"Well?"**

"**I-I don't know about this, Princess," **the dragon sighed.

The princess tilted her head. **"What do you mean?"**

"**What if….what if your father won't accept me." **He paused seeing the look in her honey brown eyes before holding up his hands. **"Listen to me first! Your father wanted to find you a prince, but instead you're bringing home a dragon. Not only that, but a **_**mage. **_**Your old man **_**hates **_**magic. You told me yourself!"**

Lucy looked crestfallen at this. **"I never said my father hated magic," **she began. **"He just banded it after my mother passed away. There's still one guild he will associate with because it serves underneath our kingdom, but that is the only exception he has for magic. However," **She stopped for a moment, giving Natsu a brilliant smile to show him she wasn't afraid of what could possibly happen to them. She was too happy about all of this to feel worried now. She had left all of those feelings behind back in the carriage. **"If my father truly loves me, he'll accept you."**

"**I guess that's true…"**

The two came to the entry way of the throne room. The princess looked back at the dragon slayer for a brief moment, smiling, before taking hold of his hand and leading him into the galleria. The king sat upon his throne, staring down at his daughter and friend with unblinking eyes. Lucy stopped before her father, dropping her hand from Natsu's. She then did a small curtsy, Natsu following her lead with a small bow of his own.

"**It's good to see you, Father,"** the princess chimed, smiling up at her father.

"**And you as well, Daughter," **he replied, eyeing Natsu for a moment. His gray gaze fell on the boy with an unreadable expression. **"So, is this the boy who out did the rest?"**

Lucy glanced back at Natsu. She wasn't sure how she going to be able to tell her Father the truth about Natsu. Had he known he was really a boy after all upon getting him as a dragon to watch the tower? How would he react to this? And what about the worse part that she did not want to marry still? **"I guess you could say something like that." **She smiled at her father fondly. She heard her father mumble to himself, before waving his hands at Natsu. The princess glanced back at the dragon slayer, understanding her father's actions. She leaned towards him, her voice nothing but a whisper. **"He wishes to speak with me alone."**

"**Will you be alright?" **Natsu demanded quietly. Something about him, he still wasn't sure he could trust the king. When the princess nodded, the boy sighed before backing out of the room. He stopped once he crossed into the foyer, leaning his back against the wall as he glanced back into the room.

"**Eavesdropping, aren't we?"**

Natsu looked up only to gasp in astonishment. **"What are you doing here?" **he growled as he glared at the strawberry blonde. He already had enough of the boy from their earlier fights. He was just about ignite his hands aflame when Loke suddenly held up his hands to stop him and shook his head, placing a single finger up to his lips. His gaze wasn't focused on him. Natsu narrowed his eyes in return before turning them back to the room where Loke's were resting as well. **"So I'm eavesdropping?" **he whispered.

"**Let's just say we agree on something for once," **the man smirked.

The two boys turned their attention back into the room, noticing the king beginning to rub his temple as he sat on his throne. He seemed to be mumbling incoherently until he finally looked up to gaze at his daughter. His eyes held an unreadable emotion within them causing Lucy to have an onset of uneasiness within her. Finally, her father sighed before speaking.

"**I sent you away," **he began dejectedly. **"In hopes of finding you a suitor worthy of taking over this kingdom, and instead -"**

"**Natsu isn't a bad guy, Father," **the princess quickly reproached. **"I know he might not be a prince, but he really is a wonderful person once you get to know him. He's loyal and kind; he's taught me the meaning of friendship; he's very protective; he's caring and he's -" **

"**He's a **_**mage!**_**" **Her father spat.

His daughter flinched at his tone. **"W-well, yes, but Father you have to understand. Natsu -"**

"**I am afraid it is **_**you**_** who doesn't understand! Lucy, you know the law against magic in this kingdom and you know best how I feel about mages."**

"**You can't continue to hate mages if Mother was one too!"**

An eerie silence filled the room. Natsu's eyes widen in shock. He remembered correctly and the princess had never mentioned her mother being a mage. She had only spoken how her mother had told her all about constellations and such. _What else is she keeping from me? _Natsu thought to himself. He was brought back to his sense as he heard the angry yell of the king and gulped.

"**Leave your Mother out of this! Lucy, you have failed me, yourself and your kingdom by returning home with this mage, this mere peasant. Have you no shame to even notice to mark on his arm?"**

"**His mark…?" **the princess echoed in confusion. Lucy recollected her thoughts about everything she had noticed Natsu upon him turning human. His scarf; his clothes; his pink hair; his pointed canines and…_He did have a mark on his bicep, _she thought to herself suddenly. She suddenly remembered seeing the red shape, mystified by what it could possibly be but knew it was better to not ask him about it. Natsu had lost all of his memories so she was positive it he wouldn't even remember how he had gotten the mark to begin with. Tears began to well in her eyes at her stupid mistake, her voice coming out as a whisper. **"It means something, doesn't it?"**

"**He's a mage, from a guild," **her father replied quietly but she could still detect the venom in his voice. **"You were blinded by your love for him to even notice that. I've told you before, guilds are nothing but trouble."**

"**Bu-but one works for you…the entire kingdom. Natsu isn't any trouble."**

"**Because they work for the good of this kingdom! You're so blinded, that you're not even paying attention to what you've been taught and only viewing him as an answer for everything." **Suddenly, the king got up from his seat and walked over towards his daughter. He stared at her with upmost fury before letting out a sigh. **"You have two choices from what I'm about to say. You can either forget about this mage, and return to the tower for the right prince to help you rule this kingdom, or you can leave, forgetting about your royal heritage, giving up your title, and never return."**

"**But I just can't leave! What about Mother's grave?"**

"**That will be your only exception to the rule."**

Lucy stared at her father, expecting him to change his mind only to see him turn away from her. She could feel the tears beginning to stream from her face now. **"You can't keep sending me away to solve your problems," **she whispered. **"Nor can this family forget the magic that brought happiness into our lives. I'm sorry, Father." **She paused, wiping at her eyes before removing the tiara from her head. **"But I cannot continue being the Heartfilia heiress. I can't give up the one friend that I've made that likes me, for me and sees past my status."**

At her words, the king turned around to face her only to see that his daughter refused to look at him. She held out the crown towards him at arm's length. Sighing, he took the tiara from her. **"You are to not return to this kingdom unless otherwise asked," **he said.

He glanced once at his daughter, preparing to give her a hug only for her to step back from him. Lucy stared at her father with tearful eyes but racing out the room, passed the two boys who had listened to the entire conversation. Natsu prepared himself to race after her only to feel a hand on his shoulder as Loke held him back. He turned around to see the strawberry blonde shake his head.

"**But she needs me!" **Natsu objected.

"**What she **_**needs**_** is some time alone," **Loke countered. He waited patiently for the boy to calm down before releasing his hold on him. He peered back into the throne room seeing that the king had already departed as well. He let out a sigh before resting his back against it, folding his arms. **"Well you've really done it now, haven't ya?" **He paused when he saw the boy's angered look and chuckled. **"I'm kidding. The old man was bound to do something like that some day. The princess has always been rebellious."**

"**But he didn't have to just throw her out like that."**

"**Perhaps….but she did make her choice on her own. Its kind funny in its own way," **Loke paused to let out a small chuckle. **"Most princesses marry a prince, but in this case a peasant."**

"**I'm not a peasant!" **Natsu snapped, ignited his hands into flames and his face began to redden. **"And I never said anything about marrying the princess…"**

"**That's right, you're a dragon. It sounds like a bad fairy tale if you ask me." **He stopped, noticing the mage's reddening face. **"You're pathetic you know."**

Suddenly Natsu's eyes grew wide and he extinguished his flames. He then picked Loke up by the collar, catching the man off guard. **"What did you just say?" **he questioned, seriousness behind his tone.

"**I called you stupid."**

"**No! Before that; you said something being bad."**

Loke blinked in confused only for the reason behind Natsu's questioned suddenly dawned on him. **"I said this all sounds like a bad fairy tale…why?"**

"**Be-because," **Natsu loosen his grip on Loke and lowered the man back onto the ground. He then rubbed his neck. **"Those words just stick out to me for some reason….And now that I think about it, your scent brings some memory of the word as well."**

"**There's a reason for that, Natsu," **Loke replied, walking over to the boy and began to tap the insignia on his shoulder. Natsu looked up at him in confusion only to cause Loke to smile. **"You're mind and heart is just beginning to work out that the words serve as an important purpose in your life."**

Natsu blinked, glancing at his shoulder. _What does he mean? _He questioned himself. In response, he began to see a set of familiar faces flash before his eyes; faces that were beaming with happiness, laughter and support. There was a feeling deep within him as if he knew these people. As quick as the vision had came, it was over. The dragon slayer slowly shook his head. Had that really just happened? He turned to look at Loke who was still staring at him expectantly.

"**Well?"**

"**Fairy Tail…" **Natsu whispered, glancing back at the insignia on his arm. **"My guild…..it's Fairy Tail."**


	11. Royal Wishes

**(A/N): CeruShimRu here and I'd just like to give a thanks to everyone single one of you for reading and reviewing this story. I'd espeically like to thank: Footster28, Princess Happy, ShinningStellar, Rose Tiger, and BlueFairy10 for being here from the very beginning of the story offering very good support :)**

* * *

><p>Natsu hadn't needed any of Loke's help to locate the princess's room. He had decided on just following her scent since he had grown so accustom to the smell. It had led him through multiple different hallways, even causing him to pass a group of people who crying. He could only guess they were some servants that had been very close to the princess and had learned of the news. Seeing them brought on a sense of dread, what if he came to a crying princess? He wasn't sure if he was going to be able to cope with that at all. He had grown to hate to see her cry as he was one of the few that made her smile. <em>And now I've caused her to lose everything.<em>

As he entered another hallway, the princess's scent hit him at full blast, but that wasn't what had caught his attention. It was muffled sound of cries; her cries. Natsu harden his face as he walked up to the door that contained the sound. He hesitated before entering. What if she didn't want to see him ever again? Would she just shut him out? A part of him just wanted to go and follow Loke's orders to leave her alone, but he couldn't bear to leave her like this anymore. Taking in a deep breath, he opened the door and in took in the sight of the pink covered room. No wonder the one back in the tower was this way….

He shook himself to clear his thoughts. This wasn't the reason why he had come upstairs. His eyes fell onto the princess who sat on her bed, unaware of his presence. **"Princess?"** he called from his place by the door. He watched silently as she looked up at him with her tear stained face.

** "Natsu," **she whispered before wiping at her eyes. She sniffled as he began to make his way across the room before sitting on her bed across from her. She lowered her head. **"I didn't want you to see me this way….I guess…you heard?"**

** "Only everything," **he breathed. That was enough to cause the tears to fall from the princess's eyes again but her sobs were a lot quieter than before. **"Princess, I'm so sorry. If I hadn't made that promise with Loke, I would have been killed and you could have just returned home with him and you wouldn't be going through this." **He paused before burrowing his face into his scarf so he couldn't face her.** "This is all my fault….I'm the reason you're going through this. I promised myself I would never make you cry again and that's all I can do!"**

** "Natsu stop!"**

The pink haired mage looked up at the sound of the girl's orders. Her eyebrows were knitted furiously together as she stared at him. This caused confusion to set in for Natsu. How could she go from crying to being mad at him in just a matter of seconds? **"Now I've only made you mad…"**

** "Stop blaming yourself!" **Lucy quickly shouted. **"None of this is your fault; it's my own. **_**I**_** rebelled against my father. **_**I**_** caused myself to be locked away in that tower. **_**I**_** allowed myself to become friends with you. **_**I**_** learned to listen to and follow my own heart." **She stopped as Natsu glanced up at her before lowering his head again. She scooted herself near him before taking his head in her hand, forcing him to look at her. **"But you**_**, **_**Natsu, **_**you **_**caused me to remember magic again. **_**You **_**liked me just for me, not my status. **_**You**_** cared about me more than your own self. **_**You **_**taught me the value of friendship and love….I….I don't….I don't think I could ever wish for any of that to not have happened. You're my nakama; you taught me that, remember?"**

** "Princess…."**

** "No, just Lucy." **She winked at this before giggling softly.

This caused the dragon slayer to smile. **"Lucy." **The word was foreign to his tongue. He placed his hands on her's before pulling it away from his face. **"I'm sorry…"**

** "And I'm sorry too…now please, let's stop blaming ourselves and just move on." **She held out her arms towards him, offering him an embrace in which he responded and hugged her back. The two of them stayed like that for a few moments before she broke the embrace, smiling up at Natsu softly. **"I'm glad that's settled."**

Natsu nodded in agreement. **"And I have great news!" **he exclaimed. **"Some of my memory has come back!"**

** "That's perfect! What was it?"**

** "It was the name of my guild, Fairy Tail. I feel so happy that I finally remembered something, Princess! Now we both can go there and maybe we could learn about the rest of my memories. Wouldn't that be -" **He paused, noticing the uneasiness within the girl's eyes. He raised an eyebrow in confusion before folding his arms. She had just been excited about him getting some of his memory back, so why was she upset now? Suddenly, it clicked to him and he frowned. **"You're not happy about it, aren't you?"**

** "I didn't say I wasn't," **Lucy objected as she began to shake her head but realized it wasn't worth her time trying to convince Natsu. He had heard everything her father had said. Sure, she had supported him while arguing with her father but she knew nothing about guilds. What if all the things her father had said were actually true? Then she had put her entire heritage on the line just because of what she believed in. **"I….just….I…"**

** "You believe what your father said, don't you? Princess, you said it yourself, your father is wrong. How can you believe in his lies? "**

** "I don't know what to believe in, Natsu. And how do you even know they aren't lies either?"**

** "Because I know I'm not an evil mage," **he replied, lowering his head. **"And Loke knows about the guild too so it can't be evil, right? He even encouraged me to go back. There must be something good about it." **He saw the princess's wide eyes and scowled. **"Don't tell me you forgot Loke is a mage too?"**

** "I didn't forget…." **The blonde turned her head away for a moment. **"I'm just wondering how he knows about your guild."**

** "Why does that matter? Princess, I really want you to come to Fairy Tail with me. I know they could help both of us."**

Lucy stared at Natsu for a moment before lowering her head with a sigh. **"Just give me some time to think, okay?" **she questioned as she glanced up at him through her hair. **"So much has happened in just a short period of time. I just really need a breather."**

The dragon slayer clenched his teeth together before slowly nodding in agreement. As he turned to leave he paused, sticking his hands into his pockets before pulling out an item. Turning back around, he walked over to the princess and placed the object on her bed. Silent, he glanced back at her before walking out her room again, closing the door quietly behind him. Once he was gone, the blonde's eyes traveled over to the object Natsu had left only for her eyes to widen in disbelief. What he had given her was a small set of golden keys; it was only three of them, but each was crafted different with their own symbol at the top. Placing them her hands, Lucy began to gaze at them as she touched each one slowly, tracing over the craftsmanship she had never seen before. _How could he manage to get something like this? _She questioned herself. _We haven't been in town for that long and he hasn't even had time to leave the castle…_

Suddenly she froze. There was a part of the keys she had seen! Getting to her feet, she made her way over to her nightstand, picking up the magic book Virgo had given her. It didn't take her long to get to the page about magic related to the stars it had been one she had been studying for a while. Every time she had looked at the pages she was reminded of the times she would spend with her mother learning about the different constellations. After receiving the book she had began to understand a little more about why her mother had been so persistent in her learning the constellations. It wasn't just for fun like she had always thought it had been as child, but instead, a secret way in telling her about magic. Lucy had just been too young to notice…until now. Her hand finally came to a page about one of the zodiacs, their symbol matching well with one of the keys.

**"Leo…the lion and leader of the zodiac," **she murmured to herself as she stared at the page. Her eyes traveled over back to her bed at the stuff toy lion under the same name before looking back at the book. Was it just coincidental or something more? The pictures didn't give her too much more information on the spirit minus their magic having to do with Regulus. At this, she pulled herself away from the book, backing away from it slowly. She had heard the word before but from who? Suddenly she let out a gasp as the thought crossed her mind and the picture of the boy came into her head. **"If he's…then how….but…why?" **She turned her gaze into her mirror until her eyes locked with her reflection's own. **"Mother, what all have you been hiding from me? What have you been trying to tell me?"**

* * *

><p>Natsu was just beginning to make his way through the courtyard for what seemed like he hundredth time. He honestly had lost count at how many times he had come across the fountain, but just the thought of it made his entire blood boil. How could he have listened to one of those crazy servants back inside the castle? They had recommended walking around out here would be an excellent way for him to calm down and take a breather when in reality they all needed one from all the tears they had continued to shed. It had taken forever to get rid of the smell of salt from his nose thanks to all of them. They could have at least mentioned to him this place was like a giant maze!<p>

While walking in the courtyard he had come across multiple houses. Plenty of times he thought he had managed to leave the castle's quarters by accident only to find the land still stretched on for a while. If hadn't come to a house he would find a wall of flowers instead. He had almost gotten to the point of just wanting to tear his way through everything to find the exit. He suddenly came to the fountain yet again and began clenching his teeth before letting out a yell of annoyance. **"Why does every damn road lead to this fountain?!" **he snapped before spewing fire into the air in rage. He was too busy rampaging to hear the subtle footsteps approach him from behind.

**"Natsu?"**

At the sound of his name and the voice, he froze, stopping his tantrum and turned to face the blonde. **"Pr-princess?" **he questioned in astonishment. **"When did you get here? And how did you find me? And..." **He took in the sight before him. She had changed completely out of her dresses, wearing a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. On her feet was a pair of boots. Her hair had been taken down from its fancy hairstyle thanks to her no longer having her crown and was allowed to hang loose at her shoulders. **"…why did you change your clothes?"**

** "Just in enough time to see you sending flames into the sky,"** she sighed. **"And please, Natsu, just call me Lucy, okay? I'm not a princess anymore."**

** "You'll always be one to me."**

At his words, Lucy slightly blushed before turning away from him quickly and began to head down a path she knew so well. **"Are you coming?"** she questioned without looking over her shoulders. She heard Natsu start after her and began to follow her in silence. She knew what path she wanted to take and why exactly she needed to take it. As they made their way, she glanced back at Natsu who had finally caught up with her was meeting her every step and stride. **"I found you thanks to the servants."**

** "Huh?" **he questioned in confusion.

**"Your questions," **Lucy said. **"They told me they had sent you out into the courtyard and you had been gone for a while. It's a good thing I found you before you caused any trouble."**

** "I wouldn't have destroyed anything…."**

A small giggle escaped Lucy at the boy's denial. She looked up as they had finally arrived to the area within the courtyard, staring up at the giant object before them. She heard Natsu stop, letting out a small gasp at the sight of it. She gave him a few moments to recover before lifting her head to face it. **"I wanted to bring you here, Natsu," **she whispered as she gazed up at the massive tombstone. She silently walked over to the mausoleum, placing a hand over it and the last bouquet of flowers she had put on it. **"This is where my mother lies." **She looked up as a hand suddenly placed itself over her own, seeing Natsu gazing up at the tombstone with an unreadable expression.

**"The queen's been here this whole time, huh?" **he said as he closed his eyes. Slowly he opened them before grinning. **"I'd like to thank you, Mrs. Heartfilia, for telling the Princess all mages aren't bad like her dad said. I'm sure she'll be fine in Fairy Tail." **Pausing, he turned his gaze to Lucy. **"Right?"**

Lucy couldn't resist but smiling back at the mage before nodding her head in agreement. **"I just wanted to say my last goodbyes, if that was okay. I promise I'll be back to visit you really soon."**

** "We both will!"**

Smiling, the princess gave one last look at the grave before turning away with the dragon slayer. The two walked on in silence, Lucy taking the lead as she knew the complete way outside of the garden that would lead them back into town. She knew it would take them a little while to get there, but in the end it would be worth it.

**"So was that all your goodbyes?" **Natsu questioned as they continued to walk. He folded his arms behind his head. **"I mean, I don't want you to come to Fairy Tail if you don't want too…"**

** "Of course I want to be there!" **Lucy exclaimed. She was astonished that he was actually having second thoughts about her coming when he saw the shock expression on his face as well. Giggling, she realized he was only saying that as he was worried about her. She continued on with a smile on her face. **"Not to worry, Natsu. I'm coming to the guild because I made the choice on my own. I want to see you get the rest of your memory back too….as for my goodbyes." **She paused, glancing longingly behind her. **"I was able to find all of the servants, but…Loke, Virgo and Taurus weren't around at all. I didn't want to leave without speaking to them."**

Natsu thought for a moment. **"Perhaps they didn't want to say goodbye?" **Smirking, he continued. **"I'm pretty sure Loke wouldn't be too happy about learning you're going to Fairy Tail with me either."**

** "Natsu!"**

** "You're only proving yourself to be even more of an idiot."**

At the sound of the voice, the two teens turned around to see the familiar strawberry blonde that Lucy loved and Natsu loathed. A growl escaped the dragon slayer as Loke tilted his glasses down so he could stare at both of them for a moment before winking at the blonde.

**"Loke!"** Lucy breathed in relief. A smile came to her face as he held out his arms and she quickly rushed forward, embracing him. **"I'm so happy to see you."**

** "And I'll be happy to see him go," **Natsu muttered aloud much to Lucy's dismay. He caught the eye of the girl before looking away in embarrassment. Clearing his throat, he turned back to look at the two, trying his best to ignore the annoyance Loke gave him. **"So…where's the rest of them? She didn't want to just say goodbye to you too."**

** "I'm afraid that won't be necessary," **Loke replied as he broke his embrace with the princess. **"You did give the Princess the keys, correct?"**

** "Yeah, but I don't see what they've got to do with this."**

** "Stop it you two!" **Lucy shouted. She was becoming fed up with the boys' constant bickering. Suddenly, the bag upon her shoulders began to give off a golden glow which caught the attention of Lucy and Natsu. Loke smirked in satisfaction at the bag's radiance. Lucy was just about to take the bag off her shoulders, a shimmering light began to develop around her and more light illuminated from the bag. As it disappeared, two figures stood beside Loke that Lucy knew only too well. A gasp escaped her; her hands flying up to her mouth as she stared at them. **"It-it can't be."**

** "Greetings, Princess," **the pink haired woman said as she bowed before her mistress. In response, her companion let out a loud moo of excitement.

**"Virgo! Taurus!" **Her eyes flittered back and forth between the both of them as she uttered their names. Suddenly everything began to click. These were the servants that had always been close to her. Their names had always stood out to her because of their unusualness. Then there were the keys she had received…**"A-ar-are you, what I think you all are?" **She moved her gaze across the three while Natsu tilted his head in confusion as he tried to take in everything.

It was Loke who spoke first. **"You're beginning to put some of the pieces of the puzzle together, aren't you?" **The girl nodded in agreement which caused him to smile. **"Lucy Heartfilia, the three of us and more have watched you grow from the small, curious princess that had learned everything she knew about stars and magic, only to have it all be taken away and forgotten in a short period of time. Now that you're leaving this castle, you can finally live on in your mother's wishes and dreams."**

** "Her mother's?" **Natsu echoed as he walked forward. **"I remember you guys saying she was a mage before but…what does that to do with the Princess?"**

** "We used to belong to the queen," **Virgo explained. **"When she agreed to marry the king, she also vowed she would give up her magic for the sake of the kingdom. "**

** "It was only fair, really," **Taurus added.

Virgo nodded. **"Your mother came from a wealthy family despite not being of royal blood, but she was one that enjoyed magic more than money."**

** "So why did she give it all up?" **Lucy questioned. She had a sickening feeling that she already knew the real reason behind it.

**"She did it out of love," **Loke answered as he stepped between his two comrades to stand in front of the blonde. A tiny smile came to his face as he pushed up his glasses before folding his arms. **"I believe you can understand that better than anyone here. Am I right?" **He saw the girl's face falter slightly and he could only smirk. **"Despite all of this, she still wanted you to know magic wasn't all bad." **He paused, a frown coming to his face. **"I'm still annoyed with how your father began tainting your mind once she passed but there wasn't anything we could do about it which is why –"**He turned his attention towards Natsu. **"I give you the permission to take the Princess to your guild, but if and only if, you carry out the Queen's wishes."**

** "I'm already gonna take of the Princess!" **Natsu snapped. **"And she doesn't need your permission. Her father turned her away and she can make her own decisions." **Growling he turned towards Lucy and grabbed her hand. **"Come on, Princess!"**

** "Natsu wait!" **Lucy shouted, tugging herself back before the boy could pull her any further. The boy paused, blinking back at her in confusion. **"I….I have to know. Loke, what was my mother's wish?"**

**"You should know one of them, Princess," **Virgo responded first. She saw the blonde's eyes stretch wide in shock before glancing back at her bag. In response, the pink haired maid shook her head in silence with a small smile on her face.

**"Then I've been doing one since you were little," **Taurus mooed. **"You have grown into fantastic lady with a wonderful body so I must protect you."**

** "Of course…" **Lucy chuckled in embarrassment much to Natsu's confusion.

**"And that leaves the one your mother asked for me to deliver," **Loke said. **"Princess, you must teach your father to appreciate magic. The Queen wasn't able to despite being the love of his life and sometimes he blames magic for taking a toll on her life."**

** "But how can she do that?!" **Natsu quickly interjected. **"You heard the old man! He hates magic!"**

** "Which is why you're going to help her!"**

** "But my father would never listen to me…." **Lucy whispered. Her voice was loud enough to catch both of the boy's attention. Glancing at each other with a glare, they quickly turned away in a huff, pushing their differences aside for the girl. This caught Lucy's attention and a small smile came to her face. **"I'm sorry…I'm just not sure how that's even possibly, Loke."**

** "There's a way and you'll find it," **Loke replied. **"Now…we can't keep using our magic like this so it's probably best if we go." **At his words, the three spirits began glowing.

** "Remember we're always protecting you, Princess!" **Taurus called.

**"And we'll always come at your call," **Virgo added.

**"Thank you, you three," **Lucy mumbled, feeling tears coming to her eyes as she saw three of her best friend's shapes beginning to disappear into a glimmer of light. She caught the last of their smile before they finally disappeared from sight. That's when she felt the first tear fall. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out the set of golden keys and began staring at them in her hands. **"Thank you, Leo, Virgo, and Taurus. I promise I won't let you or my mother down." **She then hugged the keys close to her chest, unaware of the eyes of concerned dragon slayer. Wiping at her eyes, she placed the keys back into the bag and looked up at the pink haired mage with a bright smile on her face. **"Ready to go?"**

Natsu, with his arms folded across his chest, blinked at her in confusion. **"A-are you sure?" **he stammered. **"After all that…you're sure you don't…?"**

** "I'm ready," **she announced, taking hold of his hand. **"Besides, I still have to help you get that memory of yours back, right?"**

The dragon slayer studied her for a moment, seeing her tear stained face. He had watched her cry too many times for his liking today and he would only be breaking his own promise towards her. He knew he would have to do whatever it took to keep her happy, keeping his promise to her and helping her with her own promises. **"I can't forget that!" **he exclaimed with his famous grin, pushing away the thoughts. **"Now, how about you show me how to get out of this maze?"**

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><p><strong>(AN): The journey has been so much fun with you all, but alas, every journey must come to an end, but this story is only the beginning of more. That's right, there's a sequel in the making, actually a mini series so keep your eyes open for the sneak peek that will be added here later. Again, thank you all for reading ^_^**


	12. Preview: To Love A Beast

**Please note: This is not the next chapter of the story, but a preview of the next chapter in the upcoming sequel ;) I've just been spacing everything out. Again, thank you all for reading and the reviews and I'll be sure to have our next story up soon!**

**_To Love A Beast_  
><strong>

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><p><strong>"This is it! I just know it!"<strong>

**"Natsuuu! You said that last time!"**

The pink haired mage turned around to his female companion. They had been traveling for quite some time now, falling dependent on the dragon slayer's nose. Ever since he had heard the selected two words back at the castle he had been haunted by them and was determined to find their source. The only thing left in his memory banks about it was a sense of home, safety and the smell he was continuing to follow. The princess had decided to join him after she had been banished by her father. Both of them left without a home except for each other, the princess's keys, and Natsu's failing memory but impeccable nose.

**"I know what I said, Princess,"** he replied as he rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. **"But this time I'm really sure!"**

**The princess let out a sigh. "Alright, alright,"** she muttered. **"But this is the last time we're relying on your nose. If it fails, we're asking for directions."**

**"Princess! I don't need those!"**

**"What is with men and directions? And stop calling me princess!"** the blonde snapped. **"I no longer hold the title so just call me by my name, Lucy. We're friends after all."**

Natsu rolled his eyes at this. **"Whatever you say, princess."**

At this, Lucy pouted but made no effort to correct the dragon slayer. She had already picked up that it was going to be difficult to train him to address her as Lucy after he had been called her princess well over a year. Sighing, she pulled out a set of golden keys from the brown leather pouch she had taken from home. Setting the three keys in her palm, she began to study them as they walked. She still knew little about the magic Loke had told her, but apparently she was capable of using the same magic as her mother. She just didn't understand how to use it. Natsu was sure the people in Fairy Tail would help her with it.

_Fairy Tail..._She closed her hands tightly over the keys. Lucy was still suspicious about the place. According to Loke it was a guild but he wasn't giving them anymore information. That's what scared her. Ever since her father cut out all contact with magic, Lucy felt completely lost. Living with Natsu had its virtues as she learned more about magic, but she learned even more from the book she had desperately wanted and Virgo had requested it from a guild. _So perhaps guilds aren't so bad like Father always said..._  
><strong>"How much farther do you think we have to go?"<strong> Lucy questioned, looking up from her keys now.

Natsu sniffed around for a moment before replying. "It's around here somewhere..." he placed his hand upon a branch, moving it out of the way when suddenly a huge grin came to his face.**"I knew this was it! Come look at this, Princess!"**

The mage held out his hand to lead her. Lucy took hold of it, following him along as he held the branch back in place. They came to a ledge that overlooked a large town below. Lucy's eyes grew wide in amazement. She never expected villages to be this big outside of the kingdom. It looked to be half the size of the castle's town back home. **"So that's-"**

**"Magonlia!"** Natsu breathed.


End file.
